Defying Fate
by MightyMongoose
Summary: Neji never cared much for the Main House, but when Hinata is kidnapped before his eyes, how far is the caged bird willing to go for the one he once tried to kill?
1. The Kidnapping

Yo. Hey guys, what's up? Yes'm I've got another Naruto fic out. I'm not sure if it's any good so I decided to only write a little to see if people wanted to read the rest of it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto(damn)

AU. Would take place right after the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, but Naruto's still around.

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

Okay! On with the show!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"This is—nice."

"Yes it is Neji-nii-san. I guess I should be thanking you for the invitation. Why did you want to take a walk again?"

"… I needed to talk to you about something." The two Hyuuga walked through the forests surrounding Konoha at a leisurely pace. Hyuuga Hinata watched her cousin carefully. She had long since lost her stuttering around him, in fact, he had become like the brother she never had.

He wanted to talk to her about something? That in itself was strange, Neji never wanted to talk…ever. Did she do something? The heiress started to get nervous; she didn't want the boy to be mad at her again.

"Don't be nervous Hinata-sama. I just wanted to do something that should have been done a long time ago."

"Nande?" Hinata looked puzzled as her cousin froze for a moment, and was shocked when Neji dropped onto his knees and bowed.

"Forgive me Hinata-sama. It was out of line of me to speak to you that way during the Chuunin Exam. I have learned the error of my thinking and realized that my words and my actions were unacceptable. Please forgive me."

The blue-haired kunoichi was dumbstruck. She had always just ignored their battle during the preliminary rounds of the Chuunin Exam. Neji had improved so much with his attitude towards the Main House that she did not want to bring up the dark chapter of his life.

She knelt down. "Please stand up Neji-nii-san. Of course I forgive you; I had forgiven you a long time ago. Don't do this, not for me." She knew how much it had injured her cousin's pride to bow down her, or anyone for that matter.

The pale-eyed boy looked up at her, and she smiled reassuringly.

"Thank you Hinata-sama." He smiled, well, almost smiled. Hyuuga Neji did not smile often.

The two Hyuuga sat in comfortable silence for a long while.

That is until someone decided that the two young shinobi had had enough relaxation. Out of no where a barrage of kunai appeared, launching themselves towards the cousins.

"Hinata-sama get down!" Neji stood up protectively over the Main House heiress. "_Kaiten_!" The Leaf ninja whirled in perfect formation so as to let no harm come to Hinata.

After all of the kunai had successfully been deflected, Neji stopped his _Kaiten_ and checked on his cousin. Satisfied that she was unharmed, the Branch House Hyuuga activated his _Byakugan_, noticing that Hinata had done the same.

"You can come out, now. There's no use in hiding, I **will** find you."

Soft chuckling was all the answer the pair received for a moment. Until a man wearing no hitae-ate emerged from the trees. He had long dark green hair, and piercing navy eyes.

"You two must be of the Hyuuga House, am I correct?"

"How do you know who we are?" Neji stepped protectively in front of his cousin. The man merely laughed again.

"Well I'll be needing to be taking the girlie with me." Hinata squeaked from behind her protector.

Neji's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so." His mind was racing. If he sent Hinata off now, that could prove disastrous. He had no information on the man before him, if the man was faster than him than the kunoichi would be easy prey. She would have to stay here.

The man sighed. "Come on now, don't make this a pain. I just want to take the girlie without a commotion."

"Than you did not plan accordingly. To get to Hinata-sama you'll have to go through me."

The man rolled his eyes. "If you want to do this the hard way, I can't say that I didn't warn you."

"Hinata-sama," Neji muttered, "stay behind me. Do not take any unnecessary risks." His tone left no room for argument and the blue-haired kunoichi nodded.

The pale-eyed prodigy got into the famed Gentle Fist fighting stance. Instead of sending shivers down his spine, which was the normal reaction, the green haired man merely smiled.

"Laugh at this! _Hakke Rokujuyon Sho_!" Neji's seemingly unstoppable arsenal of _Jyuuken_ blows were launched at this strange man before him.

As the genius finished up what he thought was the end of the fight, he smirked. But he gasped at what he saw.

The man merely brushed the dirt off of his shoulders, haughtily. "Was that the famed _Hakke Rokujuyon Sho_? That was it? Well, you are boring so I suppose I'll dispose of you now and take the girlie with me."

"Hinata-sama is not going anywhere."

Now the smirk belonged to the mysterious shinobi. He began to form a series of quick hand seals and the sky darkened.

Neji had never encountered anything like this. The man should not be able to stand, let alone perform seals and use his chakra.

Lightening forked through the sky and what the Hyuuga thought was just a coincidental storm proved to be his downfall. The electric current took him by surprise and struck his left arm.

He cried out in pain as the lightening surged through his body and opened a large gash on his forearm.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata rushed forward wanting to assist her hurting cousin.

"Hinata-sama," Neji managed to say from behind gritted teeth, "stay back." The kunoichi stopped, looking hurt, but listened to the pale-eyed shinobi.

The dark-eyed nin in front of them merely laughed again as Neji rushed him and attacked him with more Gentle Fist style attacks, however only with his uninjured right arm. To the pale-eyed genin's horror the attacks did not seem to have any affect on the ninja before him.

"Wondering why your attacks are being nullified?"

"Actually, yes."

The green haired shinobi grinned. "Well that's just gonna be too bad, cause I'm not telling."

Neji's eyes narrowed. 'Fine, my _Jyuuken_ isn't working…I'll just have to try something else.' You didn't train with Rock Lee without picking up a few of his techniques.

"_Konoha Daisenpu_!" The teen's spun in the taijutsu-master's technique. The other man looked mildly surprised, but merely dodged the top kick of the jutsu by ducking.

This time it was the Hyuuga's turn to smirk. This was the purpose of the second kick, and true enough, the second kick aimed lower for a ducking opponent. Neji's foot made contact with the man's jaw with a large amount of force. A crack was heard and it was clear that his jawbone had broken.

The mystery shinobi glared daggers at the pale-eyed boy, and earned a smirk back. Neji merely got back into a taijutsu stance.

"I am not so incompetent that I can only use one type of attack." To prove his point the genius prepared for yet another of his teammate's famed attacks. Though the shinobi was ready, he could not foresee the Hyuuga using advanced taijutsu as well as _Jyuuken_.

"_Konoha Reppu_!" Neji disappeared only for a moment and reappeared to sweep the feet out from under his opponent. Having not finished yet the prodigy smirked and disappeared again.

"_Kage Buyo_!" He appeared behind the mystery shinobi, both of them airborne. He grabbed on to the other ninja and sent them into the ground, well, sent the dark-eyed ninja into the ground.

Taking the few moments while his opponent was down, Neji deactivated his _Byakugan_ and went to check on his cousin.

"Hinata-sama! She emerged from a group of bushes to the side.

"Neji-nii-san are you alright!" He nodded. "Please let me help, I know I can do something against him."

"No. Hinata-sama, _Jyuuken_ attacks won't work." He didn't say it but he knew that the Gentle Fist Techniques were the only ones that the kuniochi knew. She lowered her head.

A great presence of chakra behind them alerted Neji to the danger behind him. "Hinata-sama get down!" He covered the Main House heiress with his own body and gasped as he felt four kunai embedded in his back.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata screamed and turned her cousin over. The mystery shinobi crossed over to the pair quickly and lifted the Konoha nin by the throat.

The pale-eyed genin struggled for air, but none came. Hazy yellow spots danced across his vision from the air-deprivation. Hinata desperately tried attacking the ninja that held her cousin, but to no avail. The _Jyuuken_ attacks did nothing.

After what seemed like forever to the Hyuuga, the man dropped him and delivered a quick blow to the blue-haired kuniochi's head, knocking her unconscious.

"I hate to kill children, so I'll just leave now. Do **not **follow me; I will be forced to kill you."

Neji tried to stand up, but his legs would not respond. "Hinata-sama!" He rasped. The man smirked again, before disappearing with the unconscious form of Hinata under one arm.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yes, I know I'm evil. It's a short chapter and a cliffy! runs from readers Not sure if this story is worth finishing, so tell me if it sucks or not! Neji is an extremely hard character to write fics about without making him seem OOC : P

Please review!

Hugs,

MM

P.S. I'm looking for a beta if anyone would like to help!


	2. Friends Forever

Hola all! Yes, I'm back sooner than normal. I freaking love writing this story and wrote forever yesterday…….seriously for about 4 hours. So now, chapters 2, 3, and 4 are written but not all of em are betaed yet. So I figured I'm leaving for D.C. for a couple days to visit my sister and figured I'd update before I left.

Don't own Naruto and a special thanks to my two betas on this chapter! Sango Hikari and xoayamexo take a bow! Love you guys!

Yes and I'm only putting up one chapter, I know I'm evil. But longing makes the heart grow fonder, right? I'm only doing this for you guys please don't hurt me!

Thanks to my lovely reviewers and to Eagle-Owl for the amazing reviews. Huggles reviewers

On with the chapter!

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji tried to stand up, but his legs would not respond. "Hinata-sama!" He rasped. The man smirked again, before disappearing with the unconscious form of Hinata under one arm.

The genius tried to stand up and follow, but his back and left arm screamed in protest. His mind was spinning from his close encounter with death. He activated the _Byakugan_ and found the retreating man and attempted to follow them, but realized his error.

He would not be able to aide Hinata in his current position. He had to go back home and alert the Hyuuga House. He stumbled back to begin the long way back to the village.

Why did he have to come to such a secluded place to talk to his cousin? He mentally berated himself. But he knew the answer: to spare his pride. It had wounded it enough to bow down to Hinata without having anyone else there to witness it.

'Curse my useless pride!' He was headed back to the Hyuuga Manor, but paused for a moment to lean on a tree. Why did home have to be so far away?

"Yosh! Oi Neji! Wanna spar? The flames of Youth will allow me to defeat you—what happened to you? Are you alright?"

"I need to get home now," Neji grit out. His legs were now hurting as well; he was not used to using Lee's taijutsu moves and they had taken their toll on his body.

"Looks like you need some help." Lee really wasn't expecting the pale-eyed prodigy to comply; he had his pride after all.

However, Neji decided that his proud demeanor had already done enough damage, and nodded. The Green Beast pulled the genius' right arm over his shoulder and aided him back towards the Hyuuga Manor.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Neji looked lost in himself. This was his fault entirely. If he wasn't such a weakling, then Hinata would not be in the clutches of a mysterious shinobi. She had finally forgiven him and this was how he repaid her?

"Neji? These kunai really need to come out." The Hyuuga nodded and hissed in pain as Lee pulled out the weapons protruding from his back.

Lee felt terrible for causing his friend more pain, but it had to be done. After what seemed like ages, the pair made it too the manor.

"You don't need to come in," Neji said.

"What, and leave you now? You can barely stand."

The prodigy did not want to admit it, but the taijutsu master did have a point.

"Neji!"

Hyuuga Hiashi was on the training grounds with Hanabi, and looked up when his nephew came in, leaning heavily on another ninja.

"What happened? Where's Hinata?"

Neji lowered his gaze. "She was kidnapped. We were taking a walk when a man came out of no where and said he needed to take her with him. _Jyuuken_ attacks won't work on him, and I was—defeated."

"You let Hinata get captured!" Hiashi was beside himself with rage. In this state of extreme anger he completely forgot the progress he had been making in the healing of the internally bleeding Hyuuga clan.

Before he knew what he was doing, he performed a complicated set of hand seals and fire exploded in his nephew's brain.

Neji writhed in agony from the activation of the curse seal on his forehead. He wriggled from Lee's grip and fell to the ground, lost in the pain.

"Neji? NEJI!" Lee knelt down next to his teammate, not knowing how to help the hurting Hyuuga. After a few seconds, he put two and two together and looked up to Hiashi.

"Please stop it! You're killing him!" Indeed the pain caused the prodigy's eyes to roll to the back of his head and twist on the ground, clutching his forehead.

Hiashi seemed to come to his senses and deactivated the curse seal. Neji's tremors eased slightly, but he remained on the ground.

"Neji, are you alright?"

The Hyuuga attempted to control his breathing and sat up, slowly. His world still spun and he could not decide which Hiashi was the real one. With one hand still covering his forehead protectively he turned to his uncle.

"I-I was a fool for coming here. I'll be going now, to bring Hinata back. Goodbye, Hiashi-sama."

The pale-eyed prodigy stood up with the help of Lee, who glared at the Main House member.

"Don't worry," the taijutsu master muttered to his teammate as they walked out of the Compound. "We'll get her back."

"You don't have to come; this is my responsibility."

"You don't think I'll let my teammate and friend go on a rescue mission by himself? Of course I'll come."

"Thank you Lee. Now, I think they went this way…northeast—"

"Hold on there! You're not going anywhere yet. We're taking you to Hokage-sama and then we'll figure it out there. Come on."

"But, they're getting away!"

"You're in no condition to travel or fight. Now come on." The pair made their way towards the Hokage's office, receiving many strange looks from the villagers.

"Come in," The Fifth Hokage called when she heard a knock at the door. Her voice sounded a tad muffled to the pair of shinobi, but they ignored it and stepped into the office.

Tsunade was behind a large pile of paperwork, so large that neither one of them could see her. However it appeared that she could see them.

"Ahh, Lee-kun, Neji-kun, what a surprise. It is so nice to see you—except for the fact that I'm busy! This had better be important!"

"It is, it is." Neji was still leaning heavily on his teammate, though he attempted to stand up straighter in the presence of the Hokage.

"Hinata-sama has been kidnapped. The man was not wearing a hitae-ate, but I have a feeling that he is headed towards the Cloud Village. The kidnapper was headed Northeast."

"Cloud, eh? I don't think that we can do anything then. We have a very strict treaty with the Hidden Cloud Village, and anyone suggesting that they are to blame for a kidnapping without solid proof is a one way ticket to war. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? My cousin has been kidnapped while I could do nothing! We can not just leave her to these—these monsters." Neji needed to think quickly and find another reason to go. "If they have her, they'll figure out the secret of the _Byakugan_. With it, the land of lightning will be able to surpass us in war!"

The Fifth stood up. "I'm sorry Neji, but we cannot. It is too risky… Come here let me see your wounds."

"I do not need any help." The Hyuuga prodigy was not happy.

Tsunade was not convinced and walked over and healed the injured genius anyway, but found that the injury done to his arm would not heal. She quickly wrapped spare bandages around it. He didn't look at her, and she could hardly blame him. However he needed to learn that sometimes people need to be sacrificed.

"Please reconsider Hokage-sama." Lee looked up at the Sannin imploringly.

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing that I can do. I do not want you to go after her. Understood?"

"Hn," was the only reply that she got. The two quickly left the office.

As soon as the teammates had gotten to the bottom of the stairs, Neji turned to his teammate.

"I'm going after her."

"What? You can't; Hokage-sama just forbade it! If you get caught you'll be in so much trouble!"

"Hn. You don't understand."

"**You** don'tunderstand. Do you think Hinata would want you to give up all you worked for, for her?"

"Do you think she would want me to leave her to certain death? She is my important—person. I cannot leave her. You must understand."

Lee's eyes softened.

"I am going with or without your support; I will not let you get in my way." The genius pushed the taijutsu master out of the way and headed off towards the forest.

As soon as he left, it took Lee about five seconds to realize where his loyalties lie. He sped off in the direction of his teammate and friend.

"Neji, NEJI! Wait up!" The pale-eyed genin turned to see his friend behind him, traveling quickly to catch up.

He was about to thank Lee when he could remain strong no longer. The curse seal on his forehead still burned, and Tsunade's healing had done nothing to help. He wobbled on his feet and fell forward, unintentionally catching himself with his still wounded left arm.

He hissed in pain, and nausea threatened to make him expel the contents of his stomach.

"Neji!" Lee hurried over to his friend and attempted to aide the hurting Hyuuga but said boy lifted a hand to halt him.

"I-I'm fine." To prove it he stood up, though slowly, and turned to face the Green Beast. "Thanks for coming."

"Come on, you think I would leave you to have all of the adventures by yourself?"

"You do know that even if we succeed there will be consequences. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Trying to get rid of me now, are we? Well as Gai-sensei's eternal rival Kakashi-sensei said, 'those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are called trash, but those who don't take care of their comrades…are lower than trash.'"

Neji smirked. "How do you remember things like that?"

Lee rubbed his head. "Hm. Actually I don't really know."

To Neji's discontent Lee helped him stand up and after the world stopped spinning, he nodded and the two were off.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review on the way out!

Hugs,

MM


	3. Hinata's Troubles

Hola all! Yeppurs, I'm back with your chapter! Sorry for the delays; field hockey has been taking up most of my time lately : So….I would like to thank Eagle-Owl for the review and all of my other fantastic reviewers! Kisses to all 

I would also like to thank my fantabulous beta: Sango Hikari!

K on with the show!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hinata's head felt like she had been hit with a sledgehammer. She opened her eyes, and saw that she was in a camp; she also noticed that it was late evening. A tent and fire were already set up. The bright light hurt the kunoichi's eyes and she tried to put a hand up to her face to shield them from the light.

However, she found that she could not. In fact, the Hyuuga discovered that she could not move any of her limbs with the exception of her head. She was bound to a tree tightly with thick rope.

Hinata heard a familiar chuckle. She turned her head and saw the green haired mystery shinobi.

"I would stop struggling if I were you. Those ropes will slice off your arms unless you keep still."

The blue-haired Leaf kunoichi stopped her attempts to free herself.

"Now that's a good girlie. Don't be giving me any trouble or I'll have to get nasty, and I hate it when people make me get nasty."

"W-what do y-you want with m-m-me?" Hinata's famous stuttering had returned.

"You really want to know?"

"H-hai."

"Fine, I suppose a little story-telling won't hurt. No one will be coming after us; it will take your little friend," Hinata scowled, "ample time to heal before he comes back. He will come back, I'm afraid; I could tell that he's just that kind of person. What a waste. I'll really have to kill him when he comes back.

"Well, let me start over. My name is Toya, no surname, I have no family. I am a bounty hunter from the Cloud Country, and all of those who call themselves Hyuuga have a nice little bounty on their heads."

"What? W-why?"

"Ahh, I am just the bounty hunter, not the mastermind. My employer simply said to get a Hyuuga and bring them back, preferably alive but not strictly. Now, I chose you because you are the weakest. I have no desire to fight."

"B-but you h-hurt Neji-nii-s-san!"

"Don't ruin the story, girlie. Yes, your friend; Neji he is called, you say? Well Neji's got a little problem now. He seemed to be quite strong, but I've got his weakness: you. He would have won our fight with that creative little show of taijutsu moves if it hadn't been for you. But now thanks to you, he is injured, I have his weakness and yet another advantage."

This surprised Hinata. What else could this man have against Neji-nii-san?

"Wh-what do y-you mean?"

Toya grinned. "I'm glad you asked." The bounty hunter reached into his pocket to reveal—a small gem.

It was light silver, almost lavender, in coloring. It was the exact color of the famous Hyuuga eyes. The way it caught the firelight entranced the blue-haired kunoichi, and she could not pull her gaze from it.

"Pretty isn't it? Yes, well, it has a special purpose. Since I have spilled the blood of one of the Hyuuga this gives me quite an advantage. The first one of your clan whose blood the user claims is at my mercy the moment I activate this stone." He winked. "I have not had the, err, pleasure of knowing the extent of this pain, but I do know that it is not pleasant." He laughed.

"S-stop it. I-I don't know what my c-clan has done to y-you but pl-please leave Neji-nii-san o-out of it."

"I didn't bring him into it. It is his fault entirely. If he had not been so weak and unfortunate to be with you when you two were alone then it would just be you and me, girlie."

"Stop it! I-I will n-not attempt e-escape if you leave Neji-nii-san a-alone."

Toya stood up and walked over to the restrained girl and looked her straight in the eye. Then with a blood thirsty look he said, "Sorry girlie, but you're in no position to bargain with me. Especially since I already can overpower you. Your _Jyuuken_ won't work and you're at my mercy."

"W-why won't our G-gentle Fist w-work on you?"

"Haven't figured it out? I thought the Hyuuga were supposed to be smart. I figured as soon as I pulled out this stone and told you what it did you'd at least put two and two together, even if you didn't know how it did it. Truth is, I don't know how it works against _Jyuuken_, but it does. Now just sit pretty girlie, cause I'm going to sleep."

He had just turned over to close his eyes, when Hinata already began her escape attempt. She may not be as good as Neji, but she could emit some chakra from her fingers to hopefully cut the rope.

She had just gotten the hang of it and prepared to free herself when the sleeping bounty hunter sat up quickly.

The blue-haired kunoichi froze.

Toya stifled a yawn and stood up. "Seems like I forgot something." He reached for something in his pocket, pulling out a long strip of paper with symbols on it.

"Can't have you escaping now, can I? Just a few of these wards and no more chakra control for you."

He walked over to her and spoke softly to himself.

"Damn. I should have put these on while she was unconscious. How am I supposed to get them on her with all of these ropes?" He sighed. "I guess I'll just have to cut them off and knock her out again.

"Hey girlie, I'm gonna have to cut these bonds. But if you try to run I will not hesitate to slice one of your legs off, got it?"

Hinata nodded her head.

She had already begun formulating a plan. So he was planning on knocking her out cold? She would just have to find some way of holding on to consciousness, and pretend to be knocked out. As soon as his guard was down, she would attack him, with…with what? Her _Jyuuken_ attacks wouldn't work. She would just have to scratch or bite him, but it would have to be aimed for the eyes or nose.

The man reached for a kunai and sliced at the ropes. As he did so, he dealt a swift blow to Hinata's head.

Stars danced before her vision, but she closed her eyes and faked unconsciousness. She waited as he laid her on the ground and wrapped the long ward around her left leg. It felt as if it had been lowered into icy water and she lost feeling in it almost immediately.

'Damn. It will be harder to run now.'

The Hyuuga opened her eye a crack to see what was going on. The man was preparing another ward, completely oblivious to the fact that his bounty was plotting against him.

'Now!'

The blue-haired kunoichi lashed out with both hands. She took the bounty hunter by surprise and slashed at his eyes with her fingernails. She kicked him square in the chest and stood up quickly.

Nothing was holding her back now. Toya was on the ground, clutching his eyes; she sprinted off and took to the trees.

Hinata had little trouble putting a lot of ground between the two even with a numb foot. She was too scared to stop to remove the ward; she didn't want the man to catch up with her.

She had been running for about ten minutes when pain exploded in her left leg. It seemed that the ward was the originator of the pain.

The Hyuuga was forced to stop from the agony in her leg, and fell the ground, hugging the hurting appendage to her chest.

She could not help but gasp as Toya emerged from the trees, looking less than happy. His eyes were red and a tad swollen.

"Congratulations on your escape attempt. I never imagined that you would use the 'play dead' tactic. Now you're mine thanks to that piece of paper on your leg."

As the bounty hunter was talking Hinata, who had already figured out that the wards was the cause of her pain, was try to remove the aforementioned object. No matter how much she scratched at it, the paper remained firmly in place. The pain was not lessening, and the Hyuuga felt herself slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness.

"That ward won't come off until I decide for it too, or you die, neither of which will happen soon. You're price goes up if you're alive. Now to discuss this business of escaping."

Toya strode over the crouching figure of Hinata and kicked her onto her stomach.

"You said that you wouldn't try to escape…you lied. I don't like liars. Now you pay the price. Before I was fine with just your word girlie, but not anymore. Now you're not going to be able to walk let alone escape. First I think we'll be going back to camp though."

The man roughly picked up the Hyuuga without releasing the pain inducing effect of the ward.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Well there it is! Hoped you guys liked this chapter! Just some warnings, the next chapter is going to be a little graphic so if you're squeamish tell me in a review and I'll sum it up for you.

Please review!

Hugs,  
MM


	4. Wards and Blood

Hey guys! I'm back again! Did ya miss me? Well I would have had this chapter up a few days ago, but my internet stopped working and tech support wasn't too clear on the directions on how to fix it….meh. Little black box my foot! Anyhow, thanks to Eagle-Owl and Joanne and to all of my reviewers as well!

Warnings: For torture and blood.

Thanks again to xoayamexo for being my beta! (p.s. read the next part very carefully )

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

On with the show!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It only took about ten minutes for the pair to get back to the camp but it felt like an eternity to Hinata. Her hurting leg was not appreciating being jostled around.

When they arrived, Toya threw the girl none too gently on the ground. His eyes were full of distaste, and Hinata was not looking forward to what was going to happen next.

"I trusted you girlie, and what do you do? You lie and try to escape." He sighed and shook his head. "You would have been better off just doing as I said. Now, I'm not one to enjoy another person's pain, but in your case I might make an exception."

The man took out three more slips of paper identical to the one on the Hyuuga's leg. The bounty hunter grabbed her arm and wrapped this one around it too. He performed a series of hand seals and now fiery pain lanced up and down her arm as well.

She suppressed a cry, but could hold on no longer as the same was done to her right arm and leg. Her body felt like it would explode, and she writhed in agony.

The man smiled and pulled out another ward. "I've got one more for your head girlie, but I don't think your body could take it. I really don't want you dying on me, but we're not finished yet. Not even close."

To prove his point Toya grabbed the Hyuuga by the collar and dragged her up to the same tree she was tied to before. This time he tied her up differently. He tied her middle, ankles, wrists, and neck to the thick trunk.

Hinata's whimpers filled the clearing that they were in. Darkness had long since crept over the landscape and the only light was coming from the fire and the stars and moon overhead.

Toya sat down for a moment, and seemed to be thinking to himself. He was muttering words that were lost on the Hyuuga's ears.

"That might get an interesting reaction, but I don't want to leave a blood trail. I'll have to bandage her up after so she won't bleed out. Yes, yes I think that's what I'll do."

The bounty hunter stood up and crossed over to the hurting kunoichi.

"Hey girlie, girlie…look at me when I'm talking to you!" He kicked the girl in the side and she looked at him. "That's better. I was wondering if you realized that this is you're fault." He laughed when Hinata attempted to glare at him.

He released the hold of pain on the wards. The blue-haired kunoichi's tremors eased a little bit. However, fear was evident in her pale eyes when she saw him conjure a kunai from his pouch of weapons.

"Scared girlie? I just wanted you to have a quick break before we move on to our next, ahem, lesson." He laughed at the frightened expression on the Hyuuga's face.

He gave her another couple of moment of reprieve before activating the ward on her left leg. She hissed in pain, but kept her eyes on the crazed man before her.

He used the kunai to cut off the pant leg of her caprice. She was left with a shorts length left of fabric on her leg. Then carefully, and avoiding the paper on her leg, he ran the kunai into her skin.

Hinata whimpered again. The sadistic man, with the skill of an artist carved a long diagonal line into the soft flesh. The wound bled freely. Toya smiled as the girl's breathing became shallow.

He 'drew' another diagonal line into her leg, and Hinata screamed.

"Hush. Hush girlie," the man now spoke soothingly. "It's far from over. Save your screams for later."

But Hinata could not. The pain from the cuts along with ward threatened to drive her mad from the agony. As the man cut a third, straight line her consciousness fled her. She didn't see that currently on her left leg was something that resembled a bloody form of an 'A '.

A few moments later, the kunoichi awoke to a splash of water in the face.

"You're not getting off that easy, girlie. We're not done yet." Toya deactivated the ward on her left leg, and gave Hinata another quick reprieve before cutting away the material on her pant leg similarly to the one on her left.

When he was finished he activated the ward only on her right leg. "Such perfect skin you have. Too bad, it won't be all that nice when we're done."

And again he began. This time the bounty hunter started lower and carved a vertical line into her leg. He went quicker this time, and soon two smaller diagonal cuts were 'drawn' onto the canvas that was Hinata's thigh.

Her screams pierced the night, but the cold man was unfazed by such actions. His navy eyes held no emotion as he finished the "Y" that covered the Hyuuga's right leg.

Once again, he released the pain from the ward.

As Hinata regained her bearings, she took a few deep breaths.

"W-why are you d-doing this?" Her voice was laced with pain.

Toya appeared to be stumped by this simple question. After few minutes of thinking he leaned in, next to the blue-haired kunoichi's face. "Because I can, girlie." He smirked.

Hinata looked on in fear as he cut off the long sleeve of her coat. As he was doing this, she was given time to think. _'_All of this is giving Neji-nii-san time to catch up. If Toya's torturing me here, he won't be expecting an attack from Neji. I hope he comes soon.' A moment later realization hit the Hyuuga. 'No, Neji-nii-san can't come. The bounty hunter will use that gem on him, and then he'll be just like me. Neji, don't come. Please don't come. You've suffered enough because of me.'

The heiress was given no more time to think as the sadistic man performed the now-familiar hand seals.

Pain erupted through her left arm. 'I don't think I can take much more of this,' she thought to herself. And truly enough, after Toya had only carved two diagonal lines into her flesh, Hinata passed out again.

And again, no reprieve was given. Toya splashed yet more water onto her face and slapped her awake.

"What did I say before girlie? You are not falling asleep until we are finished!"

And again the bounty hunter resumed his 'art.' This time he dragged the kunai even slower than before. Then another diagonal line and he was finished with his third letter, "O."

For the second to last time he released the ward.

Hinata did not think she could stand this much longer. She remembered Naruto, her love, and tried to think of what he would do. 'He probably wouldn't have gotten himself into this mess.'

She groaned as Toya cut away her last sleeve, and prayed that after this it would be over.

"What's this? You don't like the lesson? You know, I'm giving you the special Hyuuga deal so you'd better be grateful." The bounty hunter smirked.

He activated the last ward and once again pain shot through her arm. For the final time he ran the kunai into her skin. A long straight line was carved into her soft flesh and then another horizontal one was too.

The message was complete, and the dark eyed man deactivated the ward stepped back to admire his work.

"From now on, you and whoever else sees you will know this: you belong to Toya."

Indeed, the bleeding letters spelled out the bounty hunter's name and Hinata felt miserable.

"Nothing to say girlie? Don't you like it? I made it just for you. Can't you say anything?"

Even if she could talk, the blue-haired kunoichi refused to give into the man before her.

"Then I'll make you." He activated all of the wards at once.

The pain was overwhelming. Hinata tried to hold on, to be strong like Naruto or Neji-nii-san. However after a few moments, the Hyuuga could be strong no longer.

She let out a pain-filled shriek. It hurt so much, she couldn't take it anymore; for the third time that night, she let the darkness take her.

Toya laughed and deactivated the seals. He turned and plastered up the seals on the trees surrounding the campsite. He would be alerted if anyone came near. He was quite sure that the girlie's friend, Neji was it, would come.

He smirked. Fighting that brat would be fun. Well, fun for him. The tricks he had up his sleeve were not beneficial to the Hyuuga at all.

He would be ready, and the Hyuuga would meet his end, he was sure of it. As the bounty hunter lay down for the night, he kept the pale gem in hand for extra protection. Little did he know that sooner than he thought, he would need it.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Well, there it is. Sorry Hinata fans but I had to make Neji mad somehow. ; Yep, so reviews are apprieciated beyond reason! Thanks so much!

Hugs,  
MM


	5. My Fate Is My Choice

Hey everyone! Yessum I know I was mean to Hinata in the last chapter _hides from Hinata fans _but come on, it made it interesting didn't it? In my opinion there are not enough torture fics in the Naruto portion of so I'm here to remedy that problem ….did I really just say that?

Well that is indeed what I think but blame Cassia and Sio for their Mellon Chronicles about Aragorn and Legolas — they got me hooked. And if anyone reads LOTR fanfics then they'll know that they've got a lot of torture fics.

Anyways, I would like to once again thank my beta xoayamexo! Love ya so much! And thanks to Eagle Owl and to all of my other awesome reviewers!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji and Lee were off. They had been traveling at a high speed for what seemed like hours. It began to get dark, and the two were becoming drowsy.

"Neji, maybe we should stop for the night. We won't be in any condition to fight if we keep up this pace."

The pale-eyed prodigy hated to admit it but the taijutsu master had a point. He nodded, but as the two returned to the ground they heard something that made their blood run cold.

A single scream pierced the night.

"Hinata-sama!" Without thought, the genius flitted off in the direction from which he had heard the scream. "_Byakugan_!" After a few minutes of frivolous searching, he had found them. The bounty hunter was asleep next to a fire, completely unaware that he was being watched. "Found them!" He looked around for his cousin and almost gasped out loud when he saw the shape she was in.

Hinata was sagging heavily on the ropes that held her to a tree and was bleeding freely. Neji was unable to tear his gaze from his obviously hurting cousin for a few minutes but when he did he realized the many seals on the trees surrounding the camp. He signaled for Lee to stop; he didn't have to look back to know that the taijutsu master was following him.

"What is it?"

"Detecting Seals. They are all over the trees surrounding their campsite…about 25 meters ahead. These are tricky things; if they aren't all taken down within five seconds of one another then the user will be alerted. If we pass one then the user will be alerted as well."

"Too bad this mystery shinobi didn't count on the pair of us! The passionate flames of youth will aide us in this mission! That and our undisputed speed as well!"

Neji smirked. "There are about thirteen seals. You go to the left and get six, make sure you get six; and I'll go to the right and get seven."

"Why do you get to get seven? I shall defeat you and retrieve all of them!"

"Lee! This isn't the time to be stupid. Fine; you get seven and I'll get six. We have to do this thing right."

"Yosh!"

"Alright: five, four, three, two, one, Go!"

The two were off. Neji somehow managed to count three things at once.

Time; two seconds down, seals collected; three, and seals his teammate had collected: four.

'Dammit I'll have to hurry up. I can't have that idiot beating me.' He mentally slapped himself…was he, the great Hyuuga Neji, racing with Rock Lee?

Five seconds had passed and the Hyuuga proudly held six seals in his hand and sped over to Lee. When he arrived he saw the taijutsu master doing some sort of dance.

"I beat Neji, I beat Neji. Yosh. YOSH!"

"Lee! Shut up, before they hear us!"

"Sorry."

The two crept up to the campsite. The bounty hunter foolishly put too much trust in the Detecting Seals and was in a deep sleep.

"It would be wiser to sneak into the camp and free Hinata-sama without waking the man."

Neji didn't say it, but was against his own plan. His deepest desire at the moment was to kill the man that had caused him and his cousin so much pain.

"Alright, let's go."

The pair of young shinobi stole to the outer edges of the camp to where the blue-haired kunoichi was bound.

Neji silently crept before his cousin to check on her. He almost gasped when he say the state she was in.

Hinata's clothing was torn and her sleeves and pant legs were nearly completely gone. But what really made the prodigy's blood boil was the name that was etched into the heiress' flesh. The word "Toya" stood out clearly in bright red against her alabaster skin.

The pale-eyed genius covered Hinata's mouth before shaking her gently to wake her.

"Hinata-sama? Hinata-sama!" The boy's whispering was not aiding in awakening the unconscious kunoichi.

Lee, on the other hand, had other ideas. Reaching for a kunai, he sliced at the ropes and they fell forward, releasing the younger Hyuuga.

Hinata fell forward heavily and it took both of Neji's hands to catch her, which uncovered her mouth.

Lee actions proved to be the downfall of them all. As the prodigy had to catch his cousin, he lost hold of her mouth; and as Hinata fell hard into his arms the pain in her system became too much and she woke with a loud cry.

Neji attempted to quickly stifle the sound and calm the heiress, but the damage had been done.

Toya's eyes snapped open and he was horrified by what he saw. His Detecting Seals had failed and the bounty was untied by that Neji boy. His face went from one of shock, to rage.

He stood up quickly and reached for a kunai and flung it at the pair of cousins; he had yet to see Lee, who was still behind the tree.

Neji scooped the unconscious Hinata into his arms and flitted out of the way into the haven of the tree branches above.

"I don't think so boy! The girlie is mine!"

An orange foot came out of no where and hit the bounty hunter square in the nose.

"Get away from my friends!" Lee was incensed by the condition that his companion's cousin had been found in. "A youthful fighter would not harm someone that cannot defend themselves."

Toya smirked.

"Neji, take Hinata and run. She needs medical attention and quickly; I will handle him."

The Hyuuga was torn. He didn't know what to do. On one hand, Hinata was injured badly. He had a duty to her, not only as a Branch Member to a Head Member, but as a boy who wanted to help his cousin.

On the other hand, he had seen what the man before him was capable of. He did not want to leave his friend alone to do battle with such a competent fighter.

"Neji go!"

The pale-eyed genin shook his head slowly, jumped from the tree and lowered the kunoichi to the ground gently.

"What are you doing? Run! You said that _Jyuuken_ attacks won't work on him."

"I would not leave my teammate alone. I'm a genius remember? I've got some tricks up my sleeve." The Hyuuga's eyes hardened. "You will pay; dearly."

The fight began.

Lee started off with a whirlwind of kicks, giving Toya no room to counter.

"_Konoha Shofu_!" Lee crouched before aiming a quick upwards kick at Toya's face.

As the bounty hunter fell backwards from the kick, Neji appeared behind him, kunai in hand.

The boy was angry as he had never been before. He saw red, literally. Slashing at the man once, twice, three times, he leapt back.

Now Toya was the one bleeding freely. A long cut on his back, another gash on his shoulder, and a deep wound in his side.

The green-haired man stumbled a little as he attempted to stand steady. One hand protectively covered the injury on his shoulder. He glared daggers at the two genin.

Such a look would have sent the Akatsuki running for their mothers, but Neji and Lee were unaffected. Their eyes were narrowed and there was no mercy in their gaze. The man before them had to be destroyed for his atrocious crimes.

After about a three minute stare-down, Toya began to laugh. It was a mirthless laugh that did not bode well for the Konoha shinobi.

The pair looked at one another before rushing in again. However, this time the bounty hunter was ready. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the lavender gem. He furrowed his brows into a look of deep concentration, and for a moment nothing happened. But a second later, the Hyuuga fell to his knees. A barely contained scream escaped his lips.

Lee, unable to stop himself, kicked Toya squarely in the chest before realizing what had happened to his friend.

"Neji!" The taijutsu master stood protectively in front his friend, eyes blazing. "What did you do to him?"

The bounty hunter chuckled as he stood up. "Nothing really, just a little curse. I don't really know details, but I don't think it's pleasant, do you?" He listened and smirked when he heard the Hyuuga groan in agony.

"Stop it!" Lee was furious and he began attacking the green-haired man. But he suddenly stopped at what Toya said next.

"You touch me and your friend dies."

The green beast froze. His eyes were hard, and he did not move from his spot between Neji and Toya.

"What do you want?"

The bounty hunter smirked. "I merely wanted to bring back my bounty, the girlie, and collect the money that she's got on her head. Then Mr. Hero got all involved and now the situation is all crazy. Geez, like I said before, I hate killing kids so just take your friend and leave."

"And leave Hinata-san? I don't think so."

"Then your friend dies." Toya turned his gaze to the Hyuuga clutching his head.

"Wait!"

The bounty hunter turned to Lee.

'What should I do? I can't just leave Hinata-san to this crazed man. But if I don't he'll kill Neji. What am I supposed to do?'"Alright. But Hinata-san must be kept alive."

The green-haired man smirked. "So you care more for this weak creature than that piece of trash. Understandable. Now, take the piece of trash and leave; now."

Feeling incredibly guilty the taijutsu master walked over to Neji and Hinata. "I'm sorry Hinata-san. Please forgive me for what I must do." He walked over to the reeling Hyuuga and put a hand on his shoulder.

Neji was still conscious, but found himself unable to speak from the incredible pain. However had heard what had happened.

Toya deactivated the gem, which Neji and Lee still had not seen, and the pale-eyed genin relaxed slightly. His breathing was still shallow, and he still shook, but he opened his eyes and glared at Lee.

"N-no. I cannot lea-leave Hinata-sama h-here."

"You must understand. You would have been killed; at least now Hinata-san will be kept alive."

"No!" The Hyuuga's voice was hard. However his shaking did not stop, betraying his strong words.

He looked from the bounty hunter, to Hinata still unconscious on the ground, to Lee who was kneeling beside him. "I understand now that only I can determine my destiny. My fate is my choice."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Alright guys there it is! Can anybody guess what's gonna happen next? If so, you're too smart; but I've still got a few twists ahead!

Yeppurs, so first day of school was today…I want to kill something! With 3 college level courses when I'm still in high school I'll be surprised if I don't go off the deep end soon!

Ya, my goal for this story is to eventually get 100 reviews! With a couple more chapters hopefully that will happen…please help! Reviews make my day!

I think I'll probably get the next chapter out next week…maybe. With school and family and field hockey it might take a little longer. Unlike the other chapters I don't have the next one started already. Oops.

K' I've talked way too long. See ya later!

Hugs,  
MM


	6. The Switch

I'm back! –ducks from trash thrown by readers- Gomen, gomen, gomen! I do in fact have a good reason! Calculus is killing me! Seriously, it caused me to have two panic attacks, but now, I'm taking Jewelry instead so hopefully I'll have more time to write.

It has come to my attention that Neji's getting lamer. I do not want to show his in that kind of light. I just want to hurt him, cause that's just what we angst-writers like to do.

A special thanks to Eagle-Owl, MindlessManiac(fellow MM!), and AmberStallion and to all of my lovely reviewers.

Once again a great big thank you to my beta xoayamexo! You rock

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

He looked from the bounty hunter, to Hinata still unconscious on the ground, to Lee who was kneeling beside him. "I understand now that only I can determine my destiny. My fate is my choice."

"What are you talking about, Neji?" Lee did not like the defiant look in his friend's eyes. It could only mean that the Hyuuga was about to do something very noble…..but terribly stupid.

"You said before that any member of my clan would suffice. Take me instead."

"Neji you don't know what you're saying. You can't do this." Neji faced his friend, his eyes boring into the taijutsu-master's.

"I have to. It is—it is my duty. I am expendable, Hinata-sama is not. She will lead the clan and I-" he paused. "I am merely a tool."

"I think you are forgetting about one thing." Toya was irked by the two boys ignoring him all of a sudden. "I know your powers, hero-boy. The girlie will be a lot easier to transport."

Neji smirked. "You couldn't see your advantages even if you were holding it in your very palm, which you are. As long as you hold that gem you have control over me, and yes I see the gem and I know what it does." Neji smirked again at Toya's incredulous face. "It seems that it only works on me, which now makes me the 'easiest to transport'."

"Neji, stop! I can't just let my friend give himself up to this…this _monster_."

"Hey!"

But Lee ignored the bounty hunter and continued. "I know you belong to the Branch House, but you still are important. You still matter."

Neji met his teammate's eyes and was surprised to see desperation in the dark orbs. He sighed. "I have learned much over the past weeks. I am not a genius but she," he motioned to Hinata, "still thinks I am. After all I have done to her, she still believes in me; that is why I must do this."

Lee looked lost. "I came with you to help you find your cousin, but instead what you found was your heart. I suppose I cannot stop you. I will take Hinata-san back."

The pale-eyed genin relaxed. "Thank you Lee." He turned again to Toya. "You will take me instead. I will not try to escape, but you must let Hinata-sama and Lee go free."

Toya, who had remained silent, was disgusted at the act of friendship between the pair. However something dawned on him and he smirked.

"I suppose I can have more fun with you than with the girlie. She's close to death as it is, but you, you can handle much more. This will be interesting."

The color drained out of the taijutsu-master's face, but Neji remained impassive.

"Go Lee. Save Hinata-sama."

The green beast was silent, not trusting his own voice. Inside he felt his heart breaking. This was possibly the last time he would see his friend, no, his brother. His rival had grown so much, and again beat him. Neji was fearless, Lee was petrified.

But, he knew his duty. He walked to Hinata's motionless body and scooped her up into his arms. Lee prepared to depart, but turned one last time to the Hyuuga.

"This isn't goodbye."

And then he was gone.

"Finally, that's over. I was wondering if they'd ever leave. Now hero-boy it's just you and me." Toya sneered at the Konoha shinobi. "I was doing some thinking as you two were wasting time. You're a pretty good fighter. I'll admit that you're better than me. But we will change that. You will fight me."

Neji, who had been silent and calm, took up a fighting stance.

"Oh no. You think I'm stupid? I've got to add a little insurance."

"Do you really think you'll get stronger if you inhibit my abilities?"

But fire exploded in the boy's head as he said his biting remark. However, he remained upright and no sound escaped his lips.

"Now to fix that mouth of yours."

Toya advanced on the Hyuuga slowly, not releasing him from the painful effects of the gem. He was not happy that the genin was showing such a high tolerance for the pain.

The bounty hunter aimed a kick for Neji's abdomen, but the boy found it in him to catch the dark haired nin's foot.

He roughly twisted it, snapping his ankle. Toya yelped in pain and fell in a heap on the ground.

"It seems that for as much pain as you can dish out, you can't seem to take any in return."

However, on the inside, Neji's head felt like it would explode. He calmed his breathing and focused on the man before him.

"Now you're going to get it brat! If you don't back off and do as I say I'll increase the pain!" Neji did appear affected. He advanced on the cowering man before him.

Toya was now fearful for his life. "I mean it. I can kill you with this. Once you're dead I'll have to go back and get the girlie and your ugly friend. I won't hesitate. Two dead Hyuugas are worth about the same as one live one. Your friend I'll leave for the rats."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lee was sick with himself. He had left his brother behind; such an act could never be forgiven.

He sighed as he looked at the figure in his arms. Hinata was dying. She did not have the time that the two had wasted arguing.

Lee increased his speed. If he could not save Neji, he would do the next best thing. Hinata-sama must live. If she didn't, his teammate's sacrifice would have been in vain.

As if on cue, Hinata roused. She blinked confusedly. She was no longer in the campsite, tied to a tree. She remembered somewhat hazily that Neji had indeed come to her rescue.

"L-lee-san where's Neji-nii-san?"

The green beast's heart clenched. She needed to know. She deserved to know.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji stopped. He would not needlessly endanger the lives of his friends.

"That's better. Now go get those bandages and a stick I can use as a splint. Once you're done, sit by that tree and don't move."

The Hyuuga obeyed. Once he retrieved said items without a word, he sat beneath the tree Toya had mentioned before.

His stomach clenched as he got there. Dried blood covered the base of the tree. 'Hinata-sama's blood.'

"I thought I told you to sit."

Neji hesitated for one more moment before lowering himself to the ground. The blood shouldn't have bothered him; he was a shinobi after all. But, the thought that this liquid was drawn from his cousin, his innocent kind cousin, unnerved him.

Toya, who had not yet released the Konoha nin from the pain-inducing effects of the gem, wrapped the bandages around his broken ankle. Using the stick Neji had brought to him he made a splint and stood up.

"There's a good boy." He praised, as if talking to a dog. "Now, if you keep in line and do as you're told, you'll be rewarded. So, since you were such a good boy." He released Neji from the gem's hold.

The pale-eyed genin looked at his captor with defiant eyes, but that just made the man chuckle.

"I'm going to have fun breaking you."

o-o-o-o-o-o

There ya go. I know, I know double cliffy! –runs from readers- Once again, watch out for graphicness in the next chapter, you know how I love my blood and gore X )

Guess what guys! We're halfway there! Thaaaat's right! 50 reviews on 5 chapter! You all make my day! Thanks so much. Please help me get to the 100 review mark, I would be ecstatic!

Til next time!

Hugs,  
MM


	7. Leaving You Behind

Hey all! I'm back!!! Anyhow, I'm sorry for making this chapter a tad short, but I'm still working out how this story well end and I don't want to mess it up. Gomen!

A special thanks to Eagle-Owl and to all of my reviewers.

Everyone give a round of applause for my wonderful beta: xoayamexo! You are freakishly amazing! Love ya!!!!

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I'm going to have fun breaking you." Toya smirked at the boy before him. Yes this would indeed be fun. "Now, sit still boy." The bounty hunter reached for the wards identical to the ones he had applied to Hinata only hours before.

Neji eyed the pieces of paper warily, but otherwise showed no emotion. He had seen these strips on his cousin before she left, though they had been covered in blood when he had last seen them. They could not mean anything good.

"Hold out your arm." Neji hesitated for a moment, but knew that Toya's previous threat still held and obeyed. He lifted up his uninjured right arm.

"Think those bandages will help? You thought wrong."

Neji held his tongue, and the dark haired nin wrapped the ward around the Hyuuga's wrist. Almost immediately all feeling was lost in his right limb.

The pale-eyed genin tensed, only slightly, but Toya still noticed.

"Scared? You should be. Your little friend was. Too bad, she wasn't such a good student: couldn't handle the lessons. Let's see if you can."

Once again, Neji remained silent. However, the shinobi felt bile rising in his throat and his anger became almost too much to handle.

'How dare this man talk of Hinata-sama that way.'

"The other arm now."

This time, the Hyuuga did not even bother to hesitate. He had given his word that he would not try to escape. Though shinobi did not always act upon honor, as deceit was the thing that kept you alive, Neji did uphold to his honor.

He held up his left arm.

Once again, Toya wrapped the ward around the appendage and once again, the genin lost feeling in said appendage. However, this time, the bounty hunter noticed something else.

"Looks like my handiwork." He was, of course, talking about the pair's first battle. The wound caused by the lightning attack was still tender, and did not respond well to all the fighting. "Perhaps I can have fun with this later."

The bounty hunter wrapped two of the remaining wards around Neji's ankles and stood up.

"Hm. Not quite sure about this one yet." Toya held up a fifth ward. "You are too strong to give out so easily but I won't be able to gain anything from you if you're in too much pain to fight."

Toya crouched into a fighting stance. "Now stand up and battle me."

Neji had been waiting for this. He could return the pain this man had inflicted on Hinata-sama. "With pleasure."

Remembering the failed _Jyuuken_ attacks, the Hyuuga went into Lee's famed starting position.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"He what!?!?!" Hinata's usual stuttering had all but fled her when Lee told the heiress of her cousin's brave sacrifice.

"I'm sorry Hinata-san." Lee couldn't find it in himself to say anymore. He almost hoped that the Hyuuga would yell and scream at him. It was what he deserved for leaving his brother behind.

"But, but he'll _die_. Neji-nii-san will die! He needs us, we need to go back. We have to save him."

"I can't do that Hinata-san."

Hinata was speechless. She had seen the pair train together. She knew that after his fight with Naruto, her cousin had become kinder. She knew that the two were teammates, rivals, best friends. So why would Lee just forget about him!?

"I have to get you back to Konoha. There is no other way around it. You are dying, Hinata-san. Speaking of which, I must bandage these wounds."

The pair stopped and Lee reached for a roll of gauze bandages. He began to wrap them around the sickening injuries of his best friend's cousin.

As he did so, Hinata fell silent. The pair remained like that until the green beast could take it no longer.

"I do not ask for your forgiveness, Hinata-san. But you must promise me that you will not go after…after…him." Lee could not bear to say –his- name. It hurt too much. "You are too wounded, and he would not have his precious person endanger herself again."

"Precious person?"

"You, Hinata-san. You do not realize it, but you are important. He cares for you; do not throw his bravery aside. –You— must live."

The Hyuuga was silent for a long while, absorbing what the taijutsu-master said.

"You didn't say 'sacrifice,' Lee-san."

"Of course not. Once I get you to a hospital, I'm going back. Never leave a teammate behind, right?" The green beast gave Hinata a fake grin. On the inside, he was still scared for his best friend.

"Then leave me here, Lee-san. You must go save nii-san. He will die; there's no telling what Toya will do to him." Hinata looked into dark eyes imploringly.

"If it's anything like he did to you, we must hurry. Ne-….-he- is strong, but I don't know how long he can hold out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hiashi knocked on the Godaime's door hesitantly.

"Come in." The head of the Hyuuga clan stepped into the office. "Ah, Hiashi-dono, how can I help you?"

"Hokage-sama, I'm sure my nephew Neji has already been in to see you about the kidnapping of my daughter, Hinata."

"Yes, he has. That was a good couple hours ago. What of it?" Tsunade looked at the Hyuuga inquisitively.

"He came and told me of it also."

"Neji-kun and Lee-kun were both forbidden to go after Hinata-chan. They suspected the kidnapper was headed to the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Our peace treaty with the village is very strict. I could not risk war."

Hiashi sighed. He knew of the Cloud Village; how many more loved ones were they going to steal from him?

"After my, er, harsh reaction to Neji, and supposedly to Lee as well, I went looking for them. I was unable to locate either, and the owner of the book shop told me he saw the pair heading Northeast at a very high speed a few hours ago."

The Godaime was seething. Words failed her.

'I told those two to forget Hinata-chan! Now I have three missing genin on my hands!'

"Hokage-sama?" When Tsunade did not respond, the Hyuuga head continued. "I beg of you, Hokage-sama, please send out a search party for them. I was forced to lose my brother last time; I cannot lose his son and my daughter now as well."

Regret replaced anger in the Godaime's eyes. "I'm afraid three genin aren't worth the threat of war, Hiashi-dono."

"NO! Just a few weeks ago you sent four genin, a chuunin, and later a squad of medic nins just for one genin, and now three is not worth it?!"

Tsunade's heart ached.

"I've made my decision."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Well, there it is. If you think about it, I suppose it could be considered a triple cliffie XD Sorry guys, they're just so darn fun to write! Please tell me how I can improve this story or even some of your ideas, that would help ridiculously.

Only 47 more left til we hit the 100-review mark! Please help! 

Hugs,  
MM


	8. Tormented

HOLA! Hey guys! Finished this chap and the next one already, but it is unedited by both me and my beta. So I think I'll try to set up a schedule for the release of chaps….then again I might be too lazy.

Anyhow, thanks to Eagle-Owl and my other lovely reviewers. –huggles- 

Everyone give a round of applause to my beautiful beta xoayamexo! Love you soooo much darling!

KumokagureCloud Village

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

Don't own Naruto.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hiashi walked into the Hyuuga compound silently. He was numb from his meeting with the Godaime. 'I'm sorry nii-san. I lost you to those monsters, but I will –not- loose our children as well.'

The Hyuuga headed to the quarters of the clan elders. He was going to go after his family himself, but he still had responsibilities as the head of his clan. All final decisions had to be accepted by the elders. In a way, they ruled in all but name itself.

"Hiniateru-sama, Hiboshi-sama." Hiashi bowed to the Hyuuga elders. The wizened man and woman looked up from the ancient scrolls they were pouring over.

"Ah, Hiashi. What is it that concerns you so much? Your facial expression and clenched fists tell me that you are quite worked up about something. Is it the kidnapping of your daughter? Do not fret so, Hanabi still lives and she will become the next leader, a better leader."

The Hyuuga head looked at Hiniateru angrily. "Hinata has indeed been kidnapped, Neji went after her. I need your approval to go after them." He paused for a moment. "They were taken to Kumokagure."

The old couple did not look perturbed. "Hiashi, we cannot allow that. It is indeed sorrowful to loose two youths of our clan, but be reasonable. Hinata was not fit to rule the Hyuuga, and that branch member was too strong. He is—was a threat. You are not permitted to go after them."

The remaining twin looked ready to argue with the elders, but they silenced him.

"No. If you defy us, you will lose your position in our clan. Trust us, it is for the best." Hiboshi then turned back to the scroll, signifying the end of the conversation.

"Hai." Hiashi bowed again before leaving the pair.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji sank into Lee's famed taijutsu stance. "_Byakugan_!" He suppressed a cry as his head felt like it was being crushed.

"Did I forget to mention what those wards do? Silly me. Not only do they cut off feeling to limbs, inflict pain when activated, and refuse to come off unless I want them to, but they block chakra control. A quadruple threat."

Neji shook his head clear of the pain. He didn't need chakra control. Lee didn't have any and still was a formidable opponent. He didn't believe in fate anymore, but he did think this man's was clear anyhow.

"You're fate was decided ever since you chose to fight me."

And, being rash for one of the first times in his life, the Hyuuga rushed in.

"_Konoha Gōriki Senpū_!" Neji crouched and kicked up at Toya with incredible speed.

The bounty hunter merely smirked and caught the pale-eyed genin's foot with great difficulty. He twisted it roughly attempting to break the ankle as the Konoha nin had done to him, but Neji was too quick.

As the dark-eyed shinobi jerked his ankle, the Hyuuga twisted the rest of his body as well. Now, the genin had both hands on the ground and did a handspring, launching Toya into the air.

It was now or never. Praying that this would work, Neji unwrapped the bandages on his right arm and focusing all energy to his brain. He felt his power surge as he opened the _Initial Gate_.

He threw himself into the air after the bounty hunter. He wrapped his arms around the falling man and began to spin rapidly.

"_Omote Renge_!" At the last minute, Neji let go sending Toya speeding to the ground.

However, as the Hyuuga only had a set of bandages on one arm, the attack was flawed. This allowed the green-haired ninja to deflect the attack a small amount. Unfortunately for Neji, this meant that the man had changed the fatal attack into just a very damaging one.

As the bounty hunter stood up, he swayed from the pain. "You'll pay for that one boy." He activated the wards one at a time. To his disgust the Hyuuga managed to stay standing and silent even as all of the pain-inducing papers burned.

Fire was all the genin knew, but he refused to show weakness before an enemy. However, as Toya activated the effects of the lavender gem as well, Neji could hold it in any longer.

He fell to his knees, eyes streaming. For a few moments he managed to keep the pain inside, but it became too great. He wanted to rip his own limbs off. His whole world became a blur of pain, fire, and laughing. The maniacal laughter of the unfeeling bounty hunter drove the Hyuuga crazy. He moaned in agony.

After ten minutes of hell, Toya let up, not wanting the boy to die. He sat down as the sun began to rise in the horizon.

'Damn kids kept me up all night.'

"We have to get moving." He looked down at the still shaking boy with disgust. As Neji was still recovering from the torture, the dark-eyed nin walked over to him. He pulled out a length of rope from a sack on the ground and bound the boy's hands behind his back, but left a short length for a lead.

"You've been causing me quite a bit of trouble, hero-boy. Time for number five." Toya took out the fifth and final ward. "This goes around your forehead, so this little headband is coming off."

Neji attempted to resist as Toya removed his hitai-ate, revealing the embodiment of his shame; his curse seal.

"What's this, I wonder? A tattoo of sorts? Oh well, doesn't matter anyhow, won't be able to see it with this on." The bounty hunter wrapped the ward around the genin's forehead, giving the boy a constant, unpleasant buzz in his ears.

The man stood up and left the Hyuuga on the ground for a few minutes as he packed up camp and tended to his own wounds.

After he had finished, Toya looked at the hitai-ate and smirked. "I think I'll keep this; I like souvenirs. You're my most difficult bounty yet, but soon to become my most fun one later tonight. Anyhow, let's go."

The green-haired nin hoisted up his rucksack and grabbed at the lead on the rope binding Neji's hands.

"Now keep up or I'll just have to drag you."

The next few hours were hell for the pale-eyed genin. The pair traveled at a grueling pace through the trees towards Kumokagure. His body was worn from opening a Gate, and from the abuse of the wards and gem. To make matters worse, as his hands were tied behind his back. He had to keep an exact pace with the bounty hunter or else learn how to run through the trees backwards. Also, anytime his body gave out he had no protection from hitting the rough branches with his chest and chin.

As the sun was now high in the air, and Toya decided it was time for a break. They stopped near a quick-moving stream and the bounty hunter refilled his canteen.

"Thirsty?" The shinobi held the filled canteen before Neji mockingly. The genin did not respond, other than looking away defiantly. He knew that he was most likely not permitted food or water until he was on death's doorstep.

The dark-eyed nin reclined for about twenty minutes, and the Konoha shinobi sat propped up against a tree, reserving his energy.

'This is bad. I can't use _Jyuuken_, my _Byakugan_, or even my chakra. How am I supposed to defeat this man? I won't escape now, but if I defeat him, staying here would be foolish. All I can do now is hopefully force myself to open more of the gates in the next fight.'He sighed. 'Nothing I can do now.' Nejistared into the distance where he saw birds soaring freely. 'Yet again I have become caged. However, now Hinata-sama is safe. Lee would have gotten her back to Konoha by now.'

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Just as Neji predicted, Lee and Hinata checked into the Konoha Hospital as he rested near the stream.

"She needs a medic now! My friend has lost much blood and needs help!" A nurse came up to aid the pair, and directed Lee to a stretcher to lay Hinata on.

"I'll take her from here. You'll be notified when her condition stabilizes."

The green beast nodded. "Be strong Hinata-san."

"G-go Lee-san." But the taijutsu-master shook his head.

"Not until I've made sure you're alright."

Hinata did not have time to reply as she was carted away to one of the many rooms. Lee sat down in the waiting area, preparing to leave as soon as he found out the Hinata would be alright.

"Lee-kun, what are you doing here?" He looked up to see his Sakura blossom gazing at him quizzically.

"You guys are in so much trouble. Tsunade-sama is furious with you and Neji! She says you disobeyed a direct order…wait…where's Neji anyways?"

The green beast looked down. "Hinata-san was kidnapped and, he and I went after her, against Hokage-sama's orders." Sakura gasped.

"Hinata was kidnapped! We have to help her, where did they go? Lee?" The taijutsu-master tensed and shook a little bit.

"Hinata-san is injured, but being treated as we speak."

"Then what's wrong?"

"To save her, someone had to take Hinata-san's place; another Hyuuga." The kunoichi put a hand to her mouth.

"Neji," she breathed. Lee nodded.

"There's only one thing to do. We have to go after him of course. We'll put a team together, and save him!"

Lee smiled sadly. "I cannot put you in that position Sakura-san, I must go alone. Hokage-sama made it clear that we are not to go after Hinata-san, and now not Neji. You would be in much trouble if your sensei found out."

"Then she won't find out. I'm off today anyhow, I'll call together the Rookie Nine and I'm sure Tenten-chan will be more than happy to help us.

"I know how close you two are. We'll get him back, you'll see."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Ahah! Neji is in trouble, but help is on the way!! This time I promise the next chapter will involve blood and torture –grins sadistically- O yes, please look at a picture of a sai before the next chap. It'll make more sense.

Only 28 more reviews! Please help me get to a hundred. Love ya!

Hugs,  
MM


	9. Just Breathe

Hey guys!!!! Next installment of the story is up and running, heck yes! Heehee. 

Anyhow, just to remind you to look at a pic of a sai before you read this.The sai in my story has longer side tines than a normal one.

Thanks to my wonderful and flexible beta: xoayamexo! Love ya dahling!

Thank you to Eagle-Owl, AmberStallion, and all my lovely reviewers!

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words  
_Attacks/Techniques_

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

Warnings: TORTURE AND BLOOD!__

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lee smiled. "The passionate flames of youth will allow us to complete this quest!"

"Shh! You're in trouble, remember?" Lee rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'll stay here to make sure Hinata-chan is alright. You go get everyone. We'll meet in thirty minutes by the gates."

"Yosh!"

"Shhh!"

"Yosh!" Lee whispered. Sakura giggled.

"Now go!"

Lee took off in the direction of Tenten's apartment. He arrived in record time and buzzed her room and the weapon's mistress came down to the door.

"Hey Lee, what's up?"

"Errr. Tenten; Hinata-san was kidnapped and Neji and I went after her, and the only way to save her was for Neji to take her place so now we have to go rescue Neji." Lee said all of this very fast, hoping that if he said it quickly it would be easier for him to deal with.

Tenten was silent for a moment, registering what her teammate had just said. "Well what are we waiting for? We've got a Hyuuga to save!"

The pink-clad kunoichi started to sprint for the gates of Konoha, but Lee grabbed her collar.

"The guy who has him is quite powerful. We are going to require a better team. We will need a healer and a tracker at least. Sakura-san will meet us at the gate in twenty-five minutes and Kiba-kun is the best tracker that might be willing to help us. I was hoping to call in Shikamaru-kun as well."

"Then let's go!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Time to go brat." Toya grabbed the lead of Neji's rope and tugged it roughly. Once again the bounty hunter and his bounty took to the trees.

The twenty minute rest had helped the Hyuuga regain his strength somewhat, but after four more hours of fast-paced racing through the branches of the forest, he was exhausted.

By this time, the sun was beginning to set. The green-haired nin stopped abruptly, causing the pale-eyed genin to stumble and almost fall.

"Now the fun begins you brat. No fighting back tonight…just some, ahem,_ lessons._" He laughed malevolently.

Neji rolled his eyes. 'I won't break so easily.'

Unfortunately Toya saw. "You think this is funny?! I'll show you the meaning of pain." The bounty hunter smirked and tied the end of the lead to the branch he was standing on and quickly turned and shoved the Hyuuga off it.

As Neji fell towards the ground, he was stopped with a loud snap and the force broke one of his wrists. Now he was hanging from a tree limb twenty feet above the ground by just his wrists. Being held up with one broken wrist and one throbbing one caused him to clench his teeth and furrow his brows in pain.

"I'll be back soon enough brat." The dark-eyed nin leapt lightly down from his perch and set up his camp and fire.

Ten minutes later Neji was in a haze of pain, trying to focus on something, anything other than his aching arms. He didn't even notice when Toya undid the knot and the genin fell in a heap on the ground.

"Don't. Move." The bounty hunter pushed the boy up against a tree and removed the rope binding his hands together and used it to tie his middle to the tree trunk. He took out two more lengths of rope and used one to tie Neji's legs to the tree and the other to tie his neck down. The Hyuuga's arms were left to hang by his sides.

"Let's see if you can hurt me anymore without your precious arms." As he said this the man began to unwind the bandages covering the lightning wound on Neji's left forearm. When he finished that, he began unraveling the trademark bandages on the Konoha nin's other arm. Chuckling as he took note of the genin's mangled wrist Toya made a special effort to jerk the hurting appendage as he unwrapped that bandage as well.

The foreign shinobi almost gasped as he saw all of the already-existing scars that decorated the Konoha nin's left arm. Contrary to common belief, Neji did have to work hard to earn his title of 'genius.'

Stripped of all his bandages the genin felt cold and he looked up warily, but with narrowed eyes, to the smirking man before him.

He started to panic slightly. The Hyuuga had never been a prisoner before, but he had felt pain…oh yes, had he felt pain before. He controlled his breathing and tried to soothe himself.

'Okay. Just breathe. This man isn't nearly as powerful as he seems; just don't give in. Don't give in.'

"Even if you do escape, after tonight you won't be able to be a ninja anymore." Neji barely repressed a shudder, and looked at the bounty hunter defiantly.

Toya produced a kunai from his holster and held it so the boy could see the sharp metal, before cruelly digging it into the lightning wound. The Hyuuga hissed in pain as the wound reopened. The bounty hunter looked pleased to see the fear in the pale eyes. He jerked the kunai around in the now fresh wound and opened a longer gash along the boy's forearm; elbow to wrist.

Throughout the 'lesson', Neji began to shake, yet still had to utter a real cry.

This infuriated the green-haired shinobi to no end. Out of pure spite he rammed the kunai into the genin's shoulder.

Inside the Hyuuga was howling from the pain. His hurting arm screamed in agony, and he felt his blood seeping out of him. A thought that unnerved him to no end.

'Just breathe.'

As Neji was calming himself inside, Toya was enraged again by the lack of response. He roughly twisted the kunai, severing a large amount of muscles, before pulling it out.

The Hyuuga could remain strong no longer as blood poured from the left side of his body, soaking his clothes and the ground below him. He moaned in pain.

After a few minutes the Konoha shinobi regained his bearings and looked the green-haired nin square in the eye challengingly, as if to say: 'Do your worst.'

This merely caused the man to chuckle. "Don't worry brat, the night is young, and your other arm is, for the most part, whole."

However Toya paused, thinking up yet another way to inflict pain on the young Hyuuga. After a couple minutes he snapped his fingers together as he formulated the perfect plan.

"I've seen those _Jyuuken_ moves and I know what they can do; they generally require arm movement, yes?"

Neji did nothing but grunt in reply.

"Answer your master when he is speaking to you!"

The Konoha shinobi's eyes narrowed. "I belong to no one."

The bounty hunter was a bit taken aback with this response, but he did not remain fazed for long. He activated the wards on the genin and Neji writhed in pain, but would not submit to the torture. "Oh really brat? I'll just have to teach you your place.

"All of these scars…they must have been painful. But that's nothing. This time around, you'll be lucky to even have an arm left at all!"

As he was saying this, Toya began to retreat back into the camp. He reached into his holster and pulled out a sai. After inspecting it for a moment, he pushed the pointed metal into the fire.

He turned it slowly in the inferno, letting the flames lick the three tines of the deadly weapons until it turned a bright red.

Neji watched from his tree silently, dreading what was about to happen. However he took this time to regain his bearings.

The green-haired nin's eyes glinted as he returned with the red-hot weapon in hand. He grabbed the Hyuuga's arm by the broken wrist and held it up to his captive's pale eyes.

"I want you to see this."

As the genin eyed the sai warily, Toya chose a scar. Picking one that wound around the Konoha nin's forearm to above his elbow, the bounty hunter plunged the burning metal into the boy's arm.

Neji gasped in agony. Not only was the initial point embedded deep in his arm but, the side tines added to his pain, biting into soft muscle. The heat from the fire did not help at all as the scent of burning flesh reached his nose.

The dark-eyed nin grinned sadistically at the boy's plight. He showed no mercy as he slowly, painfully, cruelly dragged the sai along the scar that decorated the Hyuuga's arm.

Neji, who had remained next to silent during the torture session, could not repress a half-scream as the three points caught on the bone near the surface of the elbow's joint. Toya only grinned all the wider and did not halt in his 'lesson.'

"That's better brat. Scream for me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the genin held his tongue and was silent. This caused the bounty hunter to frown and he jerked the sai out roughly as the scar ended.

Now where previously was a scar, three deep gashes snaked their way around the Hyuuga's arm.

"We'll keep building after tonight. One today, two tomorrow, and well you get the picture. Now, there's this business of not learning your place. Have you figured it out yet?" He once again walked back to the fire and crouched beside it.

Neji panted, still recovering to the rough treatment. "I have no master." And as Toya stormed menacingly towards him, he spat in the bounty hunter's face.

The man's features contorted into one of pure rage and raised the again red-hot sai to the boy's face.

"I'll give you one last chance to submit brat."

Pale eyes met navy.

"Never."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_ducks from readers! _SORRY SORRY SORRY! I love to hurt Neji, its my job….but please don't hurt me! Hehe

Alright, we're nearing the one-hundred review mark! It would be really sweet to get sixteen reviews and reach one hundred for this chapter….please help!

Love all of you!

Hugs,  
MM


	10. Reinforcements

_dies_ WE DID IT WE DID IT! Actually, you guys did it! 101 reviews!! I can't tell you how happy I was when I found out huggles each and every reviewer Love you guys soooooo much. (Thank you Amberstallion, (), Eagle-Owl, dart, and Belian7 for anonymous reviewing as well!!) Once again thanks to my gorgeous beta: xoayamexo!

_calms down _Alright, here's you chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto  
Warnings: For torture

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Kiba! Kiba, open up!!" Lee and Tenten had just arrived at the Inuzuka residence and were pounding on his front door. They were greeted by a dog-lover, but not the one they were looking for.

Hana shot them a venomous look. "What do you two want?" She growled. Apparently, being interrupted by a pair of teenage strangers who had just tried to break down her door did not please her in the slightest.

"My name is Rock Lee, and this is Tenten. We're friends of Kiba and we need to speak to him. Is he here?" The Inuzuka looked at them suspiciously.

"He's not here; he's out training. Should be somewhere around Training Ground 8 with Shino."

Acting with a lot less politeness than normal, Lee thanked Hana and swiftly set off with Tenten on his heels.

Lucky for the pair, Training Ground 8 was the second-closest training ground and within five minutes they had arrived.

"Gatsuuga!"

Kiba whirled in a deadly spin, aimed directly at Shino. The bug-master summoned a shield of insects and effectively blocked the attack, before noticing his audience.

The Inuzuka spat on the ground. "Gah! That's disgusting Shino! Again with the bugs? You know I get them in my mouth every time—" He stopped as he realized the sudden presence of the older shinobi as well.

"Hey Lee, Tenten. What's up? We're kinda in the middle of training so unless you wanna spar or something, we can't help you." Kiba looked at them oddly; the pair had never shown interest in training with them before, why now?

Shino, however, noticed Lee and Tenten's tense positions and quietly stated. "Something is troubling you."

The green beast nodded. "We need your help Kiba-kun, and yours too Shino-kun, if you're willing to give it."

"We're listening."

"It's a rescue mission." Lee looked at the ground shamefully, still blaming himself for the previous day's events.

"A rescue mission?! That sounds exciting! Of course we're interested!! Who needs saving this time?" Kiba looked all too ready to play the hero.

"This isn't a mission issued by the Hokage is it?" The insect-master looked at the pair inquisitively.

"No."

"Come on Shino! That just makes it more exciting! Who're we rescuing?"

"Neji."

The Inuzuka's face went from one of determination to one of rage.

"No."

"What?!"

"I said no. After what he did to Hinata? I don't think so. He almost killed her! Then he comes with us, pretending to be a hero and get Sasuke, and gets himself half-killed!"

Shino was silent, but it was obvious that he didn't care too much for the Hyuuga either.

Lee was furious. After all Neji had sacrificed so the three genin and chuunin wouldn't have to go after the Uchiha by themselves.

Beside him, Tenten was seething. "What do you two think you're doing? You risk all of your lives going after your friend who doesn't want to be saved, but when Neji sacrifices himself to save your teammate, you do nothing!"

The green beast looked at the effect the kunoichi's words have on the other pair. However after a few minutes, the younger genin still hadn't moved. "Come on, Tenten. We need to hurry; we are running out of time." He touched her arm lightly and they took off in the direction of the Nara residence.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"_I'll give you one last chance to submit brat." _

_Pale eyes met navy. _

"_Never."_

The bounty hunter grinned. "I was hoping you would say that." Without further delay he pressed the red-hot sai to the side of Neji's face.

As all three tines burned into his flesh, the Hyuuga made a noise very close to a whimper, but not quite. He could smell his own skin burning and scorching under the sai's searing touch.

He tried to jerk his head away from the pain, looking for any sort of relief, but Toya held his head still with his other hand.

After what seemed like an eternity to the genin, the dark-eyed shinobi relented and removed the burning metal from Neji's face, leaving three stripes of blacked and blistering skin.

The Hyuuga breathed deeply, still cringing from the abuse to his head. But he soon straightened up and looked the man straight in the eye. "You can't break me."

The pale-eyed genin hardened his gaze to match his strong words. He tried as hard as he could to believe the words he had just spoken, and clung to them feverishly.

"Wrong answer." Once again, Toya headed for the fire and reheated the evil metal. Neji watched with an impassive face, and once again prepared himself for the sweltering pain of the heated sai. The bounty hunter returned a few minutes later, hot weapon in hand.

"You _will_ call me master."

"Why don't you learn? I. Have. No. Master."

And once again, the fire returned on his other cheek. He shivered slightly but was figuring out a way to deal with the torture. All he had to do was push himself into the dark recesses of his mind; the pain was less there.

Neji's lavender eyes began to glaze over as he drew into himself, and he did not respond at all to the searing sai on his face. The bounty hunter was outraged at his prey's unresponsive demeanor, and pressed the metal harder into the now burning flesh.

After a few more minutes, Toya decided it wasn't worth it. The sun had begun to set in the west, and his previous sleepless night only added to his annoyance and fatigue.

"Fine. You win tonight brat, but be warned. I won't go so easy on you next time." He thew a roll of bandages at the bound genin, and headed over to his tent.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Eh, how troublesome. But, I suppose I can't just leave you two to go after him alone."

Lee and Tenten found the Nara playing Shogi against himself outside a local book store. Shikamaru seemed indifferent on the outside, but on the inside he was rearing to go. After all, Neji had put his life in the mastermind's hands only a few short weeks ago, it was the shadow-binders chance to return the favor.

The trio had just turned to leave when they heard a pair of familiar voices calling out to them.

"Shikamaru-kun, Shikamaru-kun! Hey wait up!"

Ino and Chouji appeared out of a barbeque restaurant and were running to catch up with them.

"Oh. Hi Tenten-chan, Lee-san."

"Ohayo, Chouji-san, Ino-chan. Excuse us, but we were just leaving."

Ino's grin vanished in an instant.

"IS THAT ANY WAY TO TREAT A LADY?!"

Shikamaru and his large friend quickly calmed their teammate. "If this guy is as strong as you say he is, Lee, then we'll need their help as well."

The green beast merely nodded. They really needed to be going.

"Please inform them on the way; Sakura-san will be waiting for us at the gates by now."

"What's big-forehead girl got to do with this?"

But the other genin ignored her and set out at top speed for the gates. After a few minutes of sprinting, they spotted a familiar pink-haired kunoichi near the gates.

"Sakura-san!"

She turned and smiled when she saw all of the rookies together again. "See, I told you so. Everyone wanted to help."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Not everyone." But Lee put a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed.

"I hope you guys don't mind, I have another person to help us look."

A blonde ninja burst off a rooftop, and landed right before the group.

"Oi! I hear that Nej-"But Naruto was silenced by the newly trained medic-nin.

"Shh! This is not something we talk about openly, now shut up and follow Lee-san."

Lee blushed a little bit, before clearing his throat.

"Alright, it's about dusk right now so that means Hinata was kidnapped about two and a half days ago. Neji took her place about a day a half ago. They were headed northeast, Neji guessed to Kumokagure."

The group was silent for a moment, before a voice called out.

"Do you really think your plan will work if that's all you have to go on?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yeppers! Neji's alright for now, but Kiba and Shino are being jerks! What will happen next time? Well, I know, but you guys don't!  Heehee. I'll try to update by next weekend but no promises!

Alright this time I know I'm being crazy, but mayhap before the end of the story we'll get to 200 reviews! If not, that's cool, but please review on the way out!

Alright toodles all!

Hugs,  
MM


	11. Hot on the Trail

Hola everyone! Sorry, I said I'd have this chap out by the weekend, but our fall play was being performed and, being on costumes crew, required me to be there every night for about four hours. Anyhow, here's the next chap.

To my wonderful beta: I'm soooo sorry I didn't send this to you first but I really just wanted to get this chap out…GOMEN NASAI!

A special thanks to Eagle-Owl, Belian7, and Hyuuga Niranami and to all my other lovely reviewers!

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o__

"Do you really think your plan will work if that's all you have to go on?"

The group of genin whirled around to see Kiba and Shino emerging from the foliage of the trees. The Inuzuka smirked.

"It seems like you need a tracker, and I just happen to be the best in our class." Akamaru yipped in agreement from his perch in the front of Kiba's jacket.

"Quit showing off dog-boy!"

"Stop Naruto-kun, we need his help." Lee turned and faced the newly arrived pair. "Thank you for reconsidering."

"If Neji was willing to save Hinata we're willing to help get him back." Kiba paused and sniffed the air, trying to find a scent. Akamaru leapt out of his master's jacket and sniffed the ground around the group.

It took no time at all before the man and beast tag team found the Hyuuga's scent. He led the way northeast just as Lee had said.

Unbeknownst to the young team a pair of pale eyes watched from their vantage point on the top of a local shop. The owner of said eyes smiled and headed home knowing that his nephew would be rescued.

The green beast checked his surroundings and was hit with déjà vu. If only he knew what was going to happen two days ago; then maybe…

"Alright guys," Shikamaru began formulating a plan, "According to Lee the man who has Neji is a pretty good fighter. He also tells me that he has a trump card against him; it appears that anytime he activates a stone, Neji is overcome with pain."

"What?!" Naruto seemed to be more than a little upset. Neji, after all, had become a close friend that he trusted with his life. After he had kicked the older boy's ass during the Chuunin Exams, the Hyuuga had warmed up to him and then when the team went after, after…-him- Neji was right there, helping even though he didn't even know Sasuke well.

His musings were cut short at the team's sudden stop.

"What's going on?" The blonde looked to the Inuzuka expectantly, but Shikamaru answered for him.

"There appears to have been a struggle here." It was the shadow-binder's turn to look at Lee, who nodded. "Spread out and look for evidence."

"What are we supposed to be looking for?"

Now was Kiba's turn to answer. "Anything that might belong to the man from Kumokagure. Me 'n Akamaru need something else to go on besides Neji's scent alone."

The others nodded and quickly split up and searched the clearing.

"What happened here?" Ino had stopped at a tree coated in a reddish-brown substance.

"That is where we found Hinata-san. She was bleeding quite badly when we arrived." Lee called over from his spot on the other side of the clearing; he did not want to go near that tree again.

The kunoichi leapt back from the tree as if she had been burned. She did not want to be near the location of her friend's spilt blood.

The group continued their search for a few more minutes in vain before a shaky voice broke the silence.

"Guys, I think I found something."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji sighed. He had finished wrapping his wounds with the bandages provided by the bounty hunter. It had been a long and difficult process; he had been tied up with a broken wrist, a burned face, a deep gash in his shoulder and two deep lacerations on his arms.

Yes, it had been quite difficult.

The sun had just begun to rise in the east, but it was still a long way off. The genin tried to recuperate and regain his strength, by falling either off to sleep or into unconsciousness. Many times during the night he had cursed his own damn strength. He wanted to pass into the sweet darkness, but his body was too strong to succumb to the pain.

Finally with a few hours left, they Hyuuga drifted off to sleep.

He awoke quite some time later with an unwelcome splash of water in the face. "Wakey wakey, brat." Toya had apparently woken up a while back but took some time packing up camp. Neji grumbled, but silenced himself immediately as he remembered the bounty hunter's presence.

"Now we're getting somewhere; you're finally learning your place."

Neji's pale eyes blazed. "My place is not even comparable to yours, filth!"

SMACK

Toya backhanded the genin, hard. The Hyuuga's head snapped to the side from the force of the blow.

"Well, so much for progress. Don't worry though brat, you'll pay for that tonight; our last night together." When his bounty looked at him quizzically, the green-haired man continued. "Well, I'm not sure if I told you or not, but you Hyuuga's have quite a bounty on their heads in Kumokagure, and we'll be arriving tomorrow afternoon at our pace…." The bounty hunter paused. "…but don't worry, I'll make sure you never forget tonight."

Neji had stopped listening at the mention of Kumokagure, and didn't react to the last threat. He mind was too busy being plagued with memories of his father.

However Toya did not like being ignored. He performed now familiar hand seals and fire exploded in the genin's body. The wards had again been activated and the new wounds had severely weakened the Hyuuga's body.

Still no sound escaped the Konoha shinobi's lips, and the bounty hunter shook with anger. In fact, he was shaking so badly that he did not even notice the single object that fell out of his pocket silently.

However, soon Neji's body could take no more and a cry was pulled from his tired form.

"That's better brat." Toya took out the still bloody sai from his kunai holster. When the Hyuuga visibly flinched at the sight of the cruel metal, the foreign nin smirked. "Not yet." He sliced at the knot in the rope restraining the pale-eyed genin, and Neji fell forward heavily, barely catching himself.

Once again the young shinobi's hands were pulled behind his back and secured with the length of rope.

"Time to go."

Once again the pair took to the trees, and once again the Hyuuga experienced hell. More than once he stumbled and caught his chin and chest roughly on the unforgiving branches. Soon his entire front was covered in nasty looking bruises, and they were nowhere near stopping for the night.

After two hours, Neji could stand it no longer and collapsed. Toya was jerked back sharply, and cursed at the boy without stopping. The blows from the tree limbs continued to fall as their pace did not slow, but the genin did not have the strength to raise himself up again. To his relief, his tired body gave out once more and he let the wonderful darkness take him once more.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Tenten what is it?" The entirety of what was left of the Rookie 9 and Team Gai crowded around the weapons mistress. She paused before holding out her hand.

Lying in her palm was the lavender gem.

Lee gasped. "That is it! The stone!"

Tenten nodded, and after Kiba and Akamaru got a whiff of the bounty hunter's scent, she stored the gem in her kunai holster. "No one will be using this stone against _my _friend anytime soon."

Again after a few minutes, the tracking team picked up the trail and headed off.

Once again Shikamaru took charge. "Our best bet is the element of surprise. Since we are fresh out of Byakugans we'll have to depend solely on Kiba's nose. Alright, we'll attack in sets of three. First will be Lee, who has the most knowledge of the man's fighting abilities and is close range, Tenten, who is comfortable and used to fighting alongside Lee and is long range, and Sakura who though newly trained is still a medic nin. We don't know what shape Neji may be in when we arrive, better to play safe than sorry."

The group nodded in agreement, except one.

"But I wanna go too!" Naruto's whining was cut off by a fist, more specifically, a pink-haired kuniochi's fist.

"Let him finish Naruto!" The blonde grumbled and rubbed his cheek where Sakura had hit him.

"Easy for you to say, you're first."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing!"

Shikamaru coughed again to get the team's attention. "Now for the second wave: Shino, who will be my second-in-command, Kiba, whose nose will be perfect if the man tries to flee once he sees the second wave, and Naruto, who's _Kage Bunshins _can provide fool-proof decoys. The third wave shall be the Ino-Shika-Cho, as we are simply used to fighting as a three man cell and I need to hold back until the last possible moment in case an obstacle occurs during the mission and another strategy is needed."

Everyone nodded again, the plan sounded good to them. All that was left now was executing it.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Well there it is! Just to clarify, the unnamed object dropped by Toya in this chapter was not the gem found by the team. That happened before, and I don't think I mentioned it….oops. Alright that's it for now, but who's happy that Kiba and Shino came to help?

That's what I thought

Please review on the way out (only 82 til we get to 200 )

Hugs,

MM


	12. Whiplash

Yo fiendies! How was everybody's Thanksgiving? Hope it was great and that you all ate lots, I know I did I really don't have too much to say so I'll just shut up and get the disclaimer over with so you all can read the chapter.

A special thanks to AmberStallion, Eagle-Owl, and Hyuuga Niranami and to all of my other reviewers as well! Also oodles of thank yous to my beautiful beta xoayamexo!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji awoke with a splash of water in the face. He sputtered on the liquid as he shook his head to clear his blurred vision. The first thing that he noticed was that it hurt, _a lot. _A pretty close second was that he was tied in a similar position to the previous night, except for the fact that his wrists we bound together.

"Good to see that you're awake, brat. Hope you enjoyed your nap, 'cause it's time for more 'fun.'" Toya laughed malevolently. "Our last couple of battles proved that the fights are more of a health risk to me than a benefit, so we won't have any more of those." Neji smirked at this; even in ailing condition he could still hold his own pretty well.

"We'll see whose smiling after tonight." And the bounty hunter turned and headed to the blaze that he had set up while the prodigy slumbered. As he did this, said prodigy noticed the stars overhead and realized that it was, indeed, night.

As Neji struggled to clear his mind, Toya headed back to the boy heated sai in hand. The Hyuuga's eyes widened and he fought to control his breathing.

"Are you scared of me, brat?"

"I fear few things in this world; don't flatter yourself." The bounty hunter's eyes narrowed.

"Let's see, last night I promised two scars for our next round. I'm not usually one to break promises." Without further ado, the sadistic man plunged the scalding sai into the genin's arm. Toya planned to trace a scar that was short and rested on Neji's forearm, so that he would not cause the boy to black out before he was done.

The Hyuuga stared at the sky, trying desperately to retreat into the recesses of his mind, but found it increasingly difficult as the pain did not lessen. Before long, however, his beaten body could take no more and choked cries filled the clearing.

"That's better…but we're not done yet." The Konoha nin did not know why this man bothered so much with pointless words; of course they weren't done, he knew hell was coming for him tonight. "Now what, though. I don't want to have too much fun with your arms…I mean, there are other places to inflict pain. Your legs seem too whole for my liking, but I'm not carrying you the rest of the way. That leaves your chest and back, but what to do to them?"

Toya took a few moments to think of a new sadistic way to cause pain, and Neji took a few moments to regain his bearings. He refused to give in to this man, he outright refused.

"A-hah! A little old-fashioned, but our ancestors did know how to inflict pain quite well." The dark-eyed shinobi furrowed his brows and muttered to himself. "I'll need to turn him around then…I know what to do." He reached into his pocket for his leverage item…

…but came up empty.

"What! Where is it?" He searched his pockets and kunai holster and even his supply case but came up empty. The bounty hunter was fuming, and in his rage, he turned to Neji.

"Where is it? I know you have it," he snarled.

"What?" The Hyuuga was hurting and exhausted; in no mood to play with his captor.

"My stone! I know you took it! Tell me where it is!" Toya stormed up right up to the genin and grabbed his throat, cutting off the boy's air supply.

"I—don't know." Neji choked out, hazy yellow spots danced before his eyes and he felt himself slipping away. Just as he was about to black out, the bounty hunter relented.

"Fine, I don't need it anyhow…like you're a threat anymore. But just to be safe." Toya performed the set of hand seals and the pale-eyed shinobi readied himself for the pain he knew was coming.

And surely enough it came, Neji tried to be strong, but was fighting a losing battle. He could not take it, and after a few moments he let out pain-filled moans.

Apathetic Toya did not seem fazed. He merely sliced at the knot binding his bounty with the now-cool sai and did not catch the Hyuuga as he fell roughly to the ground.

While he was lost in his own world of pain, Neji saw pictures of his father, his team, and his friends flash before his vision. He tried to focus on them, to block out the torment; but it was in vain.

The Konoha nin barely registered falling to the ground and being lifted back up, and re-bound to the same tree. He was facing the trunk and his hands were tied around it as were his ankles. Moving was no longer an option.

Toya watched his prey suffer for another moment before releasing him from the painful effects of the wards.

"Now, brat, is when I teach you pain."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Alright team, move out!" The group of faithful genin set out at a fast pace for a few hours, but even their fiery spirits grew dim as time went on.

"Shikamaru-kun, we've been going nonstop for six hours, can't we stop for the night? If we keep up this pace, we'll be too tired to save Neji at all."

Lee's heart clenched as he remembered saying almost those exact words to the Hyuuga days before.

"I suppose you're right. We'll have to stop here. Besides, its quite dark, searching now is pointless." But Tenten would not have it.

"You guys don't get it. Neji is dying! We have to save him now!!" She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Tenten, Shikamaru is right. We need to be in peak condition if we want to save anyone." Lee tried to smile. "Neji is strong; he won't go down without a fight."

The weapon's master nodded and looked at the ground, defeatedly. The team wasted no time in searching for leaves and pine needles to use as make-shift bedding and soon they had a temporary campsite.

"Who wants to take first watch?"

"I'll take it; I won't be able to sleep anyways." The pink-clad kunoichi raised her hand grimly.

"I will take the second," Lee offered. "You are still young; we will take watch tonight."

"You're only a year older than us! You think you're better than us? Neji's arrogance is rubbing off on you."

The green beast's eyes flashed. "You will not insult my _best _friend in my presence." He replied in a deadly calm. "Get to sleep all of you. We will wake you when the sun rises."

The group went to bed without complaint, not wishing to mess with an angry Lee.

He himself headed over to his pallet, before he noticed his sullen teammate taking refuge in the tree branches above.

"Tenten?"

She didn't respond.

"Tenten, Neji would not want you to act like this. Everything will be alright." The weapon's mistress smiled; if her teammate was not ranting about the springtime of youth, she knew he was serious.

"I know, I just worry about him. He acts so tough, but I know he's not. Everyone sees his reputation or his skills, but I know him. The real him. He's scared and sad inside, and I don't want him to suffer anymore."

Lee knew his friend was distraught and wanted to cheer her up and distract her with happier thoughts.

"You like him, don't you?"

A dark blush appeared on Tenten's face, apparent even in the darkness. "No, I do not!"

"I think you do!"

The bun-adorned girl chuckled, "It's that obvious, is it?" The taijutsu-master nodded enthusiastically. "Well, I guess there's no use denying it then." She paused. "Thank you Lee. You should get some sleep before your watch." And as her teammate prepared to leap from their perch, she added, "And Lee, it's not your fault."

The green beast smiled and returned to his sleeping area, and slumbered peacefully until his watch.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji had barely regained his senses when he heard a chilling laugh on his right. He could barely move his head to the source of the sound and he saw his captor with a strange leather object in hand. He watched as the man shook the kinks out of the object and something in his mind clicked. It seemed even more obvious as Toya walked up from behind the boy and lifted his jacket and secured it, leaving his back bare.

CRACK

The Hyuuga jerked as much as the ropes would allow him when he felt a line of fire whip across his back. The leather caught on his hair and ripped his head back with the force.

"Damn. You aren't worth your hair(1), brat. Maybe I'll remedy that. Yes, I think that's what I'll do." Neji could only wait and press his forehead to the rough bark trying to soothe himself. He was interrupted when his captor wrenched his neck back roughly by the hair. He looked up into the unfeeling eyes and then to the kunai in Toya's hand. Expected pain, he prepared his body, but none came. His head was released and he heard something fall to the ground."

Something silky touched his ankles and he realized what happened. The bastard had cut off his hair.

But the genin had little time to think about it as another lash adorned his back. He writhed as much as his bonds, and soon cries were being torn from his throat. Once again pictures of loved ones floated before his vision. Hizashi, Lee, Tenten, Gai-sensei, Naruto, Hinata…he didn't realize it, but names became distinguishable in his cries. As the torment continued the pictures seemed to get farther and farther away until they were pinpricks in the distance.

CRACK

Otousan.

CRACK

Lee, Gai

CRACK

Tenten, Naruto

CRACK

Hinata

He tried to keep silent, to be strong for them. They thought he was a genius, he needed to be a genius; for them. But he could not. No matter how he tried, the pain got the better of the Hyuuga.

After what seemed like forever, the blows stopped falling and Toya put away the whip.

"Alright brat, hope you liked tonight. Cause I was going easy on you these past two days. What my employer will do to you is, from what I hear, worse than Hell itself."

Neji barely cared, he just wanted to die. Maybe then, the torture would end.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yipes! Don't kill me guys! I know I cut off his hair, but it'll grow back eventually, right? _Looks around nervously and gulps _I'll be in hiding from you guys til next time! EEP!

(1) In ancient times the worth of a warrior was judged by the length of his hair. Long hair proved to be a handicap, constantly getting in the fighters face, and giving his opponent plenty of opportunities to grab it and end the battle. As a warrior's skill increased, he could afford said handicap.

Please review on the way out!

Hugs,

MM


	13. A New Enemy

Crap! Don't kill me guys! I'm sorry I've just had extreme writer's block for the past two weeks. That and I've been busy as hell. Meh. So, I'm back with your chapter.

Thanks to my lovely reviewers: Eagle Owl, Belian7, Akai Tamashi, and all you signed reviewers as well.

Please excuse any mistakes in this chapter as I figured you guys wanted to find out what happens next. Gomen. (sorry xoayamexo, I hate doing this to you.)

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The sun peaked through the trees as it rose slowly in the early hours of the morning. Neji, who normally was awake and training by now, still slumbered. The torture and beatings of the previous days had drained almost all of his strength and chakra reserves. Still safe in the last haven he had, the Hyuuga dreamed of his precious people and was, for the time being, comforted.

Alas the peaceful moment did not last long and Toya, who had woken and packed up his camp, walked nonchalantly to his prisoner and promptly cut the ropes. The Konoha shinobi fell heavily to the ground and awoke with a cry, for he was still too weak from the previous night's beating.

"Did I wake you?" The bounty hunter merely smirked at the boy's defiant face. Determined to reach Kumokagure within four hours, the green-haired nin quickly rebound Neji's hands in and departed.

The Hyuuga drifted in and out of consciousness on the long journey there. For a good portion of the trip he hung in limbo. Caught between the two worlds, he was fully aware of neither.

It was a surprise to him when a large village appeared before him, but he barely registered the danger.

The pair stopped on the village's outskirts to avoid attracting attention. Toya stood up straighter and headed to his employers predetermined meeting place.

Sure enough a dark figure emerged from the shadows of the village's walls. "Ahh, Toya right on time." The person's eyes fell upon the injured Hyuuga. "I see you have brought the prisoner in less than…acceptable condition."

"The brat caused quite a bit of trouble on the way up here, sir. Had to detain him somehow." Toya did not notice the frown forming on his employers face.

"Remove the wards"

The bounty hunter looked at the person quizzically, but did as he was instructed. The Konoha shinobi felt the strips fall from his body. "Now for the payment."

"That won't be necessary." Toya's navy eyes flashed.

"What?!"

"Your instructions were to bring a Hyuuga from the Main Branch in decent condition. As he is neither, your payment is not necessary. If you are not willing to compromise, I have quite a large number of ninja to 'escort' you back to wherever it is you came from."

Finally noticing the thirty shinobi surrounding the area, Toya handed over Neji's lead grumbling. He glared one last time at his employer before departing.

The figure dismissed the shinobi with a hand gesture. The genin looked up into the face of his new captor, warily.

"Hello Hyuuga. My name is Ada Yami." Yami had no expression in her voice. Her short hair was the color of freshly turned earth and her eyes were dark and piercing. Neji didn't know what it was, but something about this woman unnerved him.

But soon he knew nothing as she knocked the boy out with a blow to the temple.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The group had woken with the sun and set out quickly. They had been traveling for no more than two hours when Akamaru and Kiba nosed something out.

They stopped without warning and after a few moments of searching the nin dog returned with something clamped in his jaws. He dropped it in his master's outstretched hand.

The team gasped as they recognized Neji's hitai-ate.

"Neji would never let that off his person without a fight." Tenten's heart clenched. She knew how much her teammate hated his cursed seal…she knew how he would never let it remain bare of his own free will. He was hurt, badly. She just knew it.

Without even a second glance she left again on her own, but Lee was hot on her tail.

"Tenten! Tenten, wait! Please stop! You don't know where you're going; We have to wait for Kiba and the others." The kunoichi turned back to the green beast with streaming eyes and cold remain strong no longer; she wept on his shoulder.

"Shh. Shh, don't worry. He'll be alright. Trust me; my rival will not let death claim him so easily." He tried to comfort his hurting friend and after a few moments she had composed herself.

"What am I doing? Neji needs help; he doesn't need me feeling sorry for myself." The weapons master chided herself and nodded to Kiba and the group, who had caught up, signaling that it was time to depart.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The first thing Neji noticed when he woke was white. He was in a white room and his wounds were bound. His hair was obstructing his vision and he attempted to push the shortened lock out of his face…

…but realized he could not. The Hyuuga was strapped to a table, and he could move none of his limbs. However, he felt a bit stronger than he did before.

"Hello Hyuuga."

The same voice from before, Yami's, spoke to him. Neji found that he could not even turn his head, and had to wait for the woman to step in front of him to see her.

The girl could not have been more than two years his senior. Her face was taught and showed little emotion; however rage shone through quite clearly. Her eyes appeared to have seen more years than should have been present in a teenager.

"What do you want with me?"

"Your eyes." The Konoha shinobi repressed a shudder, and continued to glare at his new captor. She did not notice and kept talking. "I ordered that idiot bounty hunter to get a Main House Hyuuga, but you'll have to do. The last time we made the mistake of killing the Branch House member and he was utterly useless." The pale-eyed genin bristled at the coarse reference to his father. "This time, we'll have to keep you alive; however your body will not be able to take the treatment if it is not a peak condition."

Neji breathed a small sigh of relief. With these wounds it would take him quite a while to reach peak condition. He had noticed that the wards had been removed previously, and when he was strong enough nothing was containing his chakra or keeping him here.

Yami had noticed the glimmer of hope in her captive's eyes and smirked. "Don't worry, even at your top condition you won't be able to escape." She paused. "If you're trapped within your mind, your body is useless." The Cloud girl pulled a syringe from her pocket. The tube was filled with a strange silver liquid.

Swiftly the Ada plunged the needle into Neji's arm and pushed the contents into his body.

The toxin's effects took place immediately. He felt as if ice was coursing through his very veins and soon the white room disappeared and was replaced with the Mourning Room in the Hyuuga compound.

He walked into the room and gasped at what he saw.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The team again began to grow tired, but this time they refused to stop. After the disturbing discovery of Neji's hitai-ate a new fire burned in each of their hearts.

Once again Akamaru yipped something at his master and the group halted at another area. Signs of a camp were obvious and another tree with blood at the base.

"Another camp." Lee's blood boiled at the thought of his friend being tortured, but he voiced none of these concerns to Tenten, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

Naruto, who was seething walked right up to the bloodied tree and punched it with tremendous force. "Why Neji? Why is it always Neji?" He was going to continue when he noticed something brown and silky at the base. "Is that…Oi guys, get over here!" The team assembled next to the kitsune in record time and just stared at what Naruto was pointing at. Each were shocked that this bounty hunter had stooped so low as to remove the hair of their friend.

No one uttered a word, until Shikamaru pulled them from their trance.

"Come on guys."

Without looking back Kiba and Akamaru led the team onwards.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Stupid bitch. All that trouble and I don't even get paid. Last time I work with dogs of Kumokagure."

Toya was fuming as he trekked noisily through the forest. He didn't care what happened now, he was just enraged. Little did he know that this would be the last mistake he ever made.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Oh boy am I mean. Neji's out of Toya's hands but he's not out of danger yet! Just so you guys don't think I'm just stringing random syllables together:

Ada: means revenge in Japanese (You guys will understand this later.)

Yami: means darkness in Japanese (I figured it'd be a good name for a villain)

Please review on the way out!

Hugs,

MM


	14. The Reason for Revenge

Merry Christmas guys! Once again gomen to my poor beta, I just whipped this one out about an hour ago and wanted to give you all a nice Christmas gift.

Enjoy today, eat lots, and sleep just as much!

Thanks to my lovely reviewers Eagle-Owl and Belian7, and to all my other wonderful signed reviewers.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

_Attacks/Techniques_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Neji gasped. He was in the Hyuuga compound, outside the mourning room. Hesitantly he pushed the doors open and walked in.

A smaller version of himself was kneeling on the ground before a body covered in a white sheet.

"Otousan." Neji murmured. He could not stop himself from taking a step back, his head shaking slowly. "No. No, this cannot be real." He looked down to his younger self, who was now looking at him, and saw that tears were running down the small face.

"Why? Why did you let this happen? Why did you let them take otousan away?" Neji's eyes widened. "You let them take otousan and now I'm all alone. All alone." The younger Neji began sobbing and launched himself at his older self and began to hit him.

"This is all your fault!" _Punch_ "Why didn't you stop them from taking him?" _Punch_ "I hate you, and so does otousan!" _Punch_

The older Neji's eyes began to water. 'No. No, no, no. This cannot be happening.' He caught the boy's fist and backed out of the room…

…only to run directly into Hiashi.

"Hiashi-sama." Neji started slowly. He saw that the man had a sad look on his face.

"You let them kill my brother…I can't just let you go."

"What are you talking about Hiashi-sama?" The young Hyuuga looked up to his uncle with fear in his lavender eyes.

Before he knew what was happening, Neji felt his cursed seal, his juin being activated. He gripped his head and gasped from the pain.

"Otousan, I'm sorry."

Then everything went black.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yami looked at the anguished Hyuuga through the thick glass. She chuckled mirthlessly. It doesn't matter if the pain isn't real, if the mind thinks it is, it would suffice.

'It serves him right for taking my father away from me.' The Ada looked very sad for a moment, before putting her emotionless mask back in place. She walked out of the observing room, leaving her victim moaning in what he perceived as agony, alone.

Yami checked the guards, instructing her head guard to be alert and not to let in anyone else. He was to be on duty watching the Hyuuga; no one else was to see him.

The man nodded resolutely; orders were orders, even if he didn't like them. In his opinion, children should not be hurt like this. It didn't matter though; he was merely a shinobi who was not to question his instructions.

Yami departed, to do whatever it was that she was planning. The guard looked sadly at the poor boy, who was writhing, eyes closed. But he tore his gaze from the sad sight, with a guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The team stood hidden, in trees, under bushes, anywhere. Kiba and Akamaru had nosed out Toya's scent; it was getting stronger and stronger with each passing second, indicating his approach.

Shikamaru pointed at Lee, Tenten, and Sakura, and held up one finger. He then pointed at Shino, Kiba, and Naruto, and held up two fingers. Next he pointed at himself, Ino, and Chouji, and held up three fingers.

He then drew his thumb across his throat quickly and shook his head.

The rest of the team nodded. They would stick to the previous plan of three-man wave attacks, but Toya was not to be killed.

The group of Konoha genin was silent, and heard the bounty hunter's loud approach through the trees. As he drew close enough for combat, the shadow-wielder whistled and Lee, Tenten, and Sakura dove into action.

The green beast made a silent beeline for Toya, kunai raised. He drilled the metal into the man's shoulder as he collided with the foreign shinobi midair. Lee didn't give his teammates a chance as he disappeared and reappeared underneath the falling bounty hunter.

"_Kage Buyō_!" Lee slammed his opponent into the ground and Tenten launched several weapons at the fallen nin, catching them at the last second with chakra threads. However she was still ready to let them hit their intended target if he did not cooperate.

"I surrender!"

Toya's eyes were wide with fright. He was never the best ninja, but now he was already injured from that Hyuuga kid, and this green freak had wounded him. Not to mention the arsenal of kunai, shuriken, sai, and various other pointed objects that were mere inches from his face.

Lee had heard the man's plea and shoved him up to the nearest tree, and punched him repeatedly.

'This man tortured, Hinata-san, Neji-kun……….he cannot be forgiven so easily.' The green beast saw red, and took out his fury on the bounty hunter before him.

He only stopped when he heard a small voice at his side.

"Lee-san, please stop. He surrendered." Sakura had been horrified by Lee's actions, and wanted the taijutsu-master to halt before he did something he'd regret.

The green-clad nin looked back at the man and backed away. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I cannot be in his presence…I just cannot." Tenten had collected up her weapons and tied the man to the tree with chakra threads, careful to make it quite tight.

By this time, Shikamaru and the rest of the team had come out and began to interrogate the bounty hunter.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yami had left the Hyuuga in the care of her top guard and trekked her daily route to the cemetery. Her feet took her to a familiar headstone.

"Otousan. We're so close. I'll get that Byakugan for you, and then the village will know that your plan was right. Those bastards may have killed you, but now you will see that your death was not in vain."

She stayed like that for a long time. Just standing before her father's grave, and it was well past night before she headed back to her home.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The team had gotten just about every shred of information out of the green haired man. He had been very forthcoming…especially with a shadow hand with slight pressure on his throat. The group left him tied to the tree, planning on taking him back to Konoha to face justice.

"What are we going to do now, Shika?" Ino did not see how they could possibly rescue the Hyuuga from a foreign village.

The lazy nin had merely closed his eyes and let his hands form the familiar circle. After a few minutes of intense thought, opened his eyes.

"We will have to locate him first. We cannot be seen, no matter what. If Konoha is caught in Cloud Village, staging a rescue attempt, we might have to face another war. And we all know that our village is not ready to handle another war." He paused. "First we'll send in Akamaru. With his very strong sense of smell, he can find Neji easily. The villagers will not be suspicious of a little white dog running about. When he has found Neji, he will come back and report to us. One of us will then have to disguise himself, and break Neji off. Then whoever is on this rescue mission will have to figure out a way to get him to the city limits. We'll meet up with them there and head back to Konoha at top speed."

Akamaru yipped happily. He was going to enjoy going solo for once. Kiba patted his best friend on the head twice.

"Now, when you nose out Neji, I want you to actually see him. Knowing these snakes they might have taken something with his scent on it and put it somewhere else…or something."

"Kiba! Stop giving your dog stupid directions! You'll just confuse him more." Naruto took any opportunity he got to prove his worth against the other loudmouth.

"Shut up Naruto!"

"Both of you be quiet! We've got to get going now, gotta get closer to the village."

The group of genin set off again, and thirty minutes later they could see the large gates that led into Kumokagure.

"Ready Akamaru?" The nin dog barked, and was off. He bounded into the city, and slowed down immediately. He nosed at the ground, looking like any other stray that wandered the village.

It took about ten minutes of constant searching before the white canine had sniffed out the Hyuuga's scent. He walked slowly, following the trail, not wanting to attract unwanted attention to himself.

Akamaru followed his nose until it led him to a dojo. In it was a large amount of students training a special type of martial arts. It involved the use of two small fans…but the little dog did not really understand the taijutsu. He looked at the students, and saw that they were being led by a teenage girl with small dark eyes and long dark brown hair.

Ignoring the shinobi-in-training, Akamaru continued to follow Neji's scent. It lead him to the back of the dojo. A black door stood slightly ajar and the small nin dog followed the smell into the darkness.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

That's all for now folks! Who else is glad Toya got what he deserved? raises hand hehe. Well, once again, Merry Christmas!

Hugs,

MM


	15. Into the Arms of Salvation

Hey guys! _ducks from many objects thrown by angry readers_ Gomen! I really didn't mean to let the story go this long without an update. I do have a good reason though. Severe writer's block, finals, four guys chasing after my heart, one girl simply chasing after me 24/7, basketball, a job, field hockey, and youth group can sure lead to late updates.

However, this chapter is extra long for you guys so I'm expecting slightly less harsh reviews.

Once again thanks to my amazing beta: xoayamexo! Without her the story would simply not be the same.

And thanks to my lovely anonymous reviewer Eagle-Owl!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

Attacks/Techniques

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Akamaru nosed his way in the door and followed Neji's scent along a long dark hallway. He didn't let the other strange scents compromise his mission, and the little dog kept his focus, careful to remember all important directional changes.

After only a few more minutes of following the stale trail, Akamaru was halted by a large metal door. The scent was strongest in there; surely the Hyuuga must be residing in that room.

The nin dog scratched at the door frivolously before realizing that there was a glass window on the wall above him. Hopefully it looked into the room where Neji was.

Akamaru leapt lightly onto a small pile of boxes that appeared to be filled with papers, in order to see through the glass. Two small black eyes gazed through the thick window.

It was Neji all right, and from the looks of it, the boy was injured. He was covered, almost head to toe, with bandages. However a good few of the white cloths were stained a deep red, proving that many of the wounds were still open.

The white dog pawed at the glass, attempting to enter the other room to comfort the hurting genin. He was persistent and so absorbed in his task that he didn't sense a presence behind him.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Now when Akamaru gets back we're going to need one person to infiltrate Kumokagure and bring Neji back without attracting attention. It would be difficult, and I understand if no one wants to volunteer." Three hands shot up in the air.

"I'll go and save Neji! Those Cloud nin won't know what hit them!"

"No, Naruto."

The blonde pouted at Shikamaru. "Why not?"

"We need someone who can blend in, someone who won't let their heart get in the way of the mission. As soon as you get in there you would probably tear up the whole city in search of Neji. That's not what we need right now."

Lee stepped forward. "I will go."

Shikamaru shook his head. "I'm sorry Lee; you really shouldn't. After what you did to that bounty hunter, I don't think you can handle this without losing your head." The green beast started to shake with disbelief. The Nara, noticing this quickly, spoke again. "Listen, I know you and Neji are best friends…we just need someone with a cool head to go in…Shino?"

The bug-user gave a barely visible nod and pushed up his dark glasses. "Now when Akamaru gets back Shino, you have to-"

"You don't understand!"

The team looked to Lee, whose face was taught.

"I have to be the one to go; I have to see that Neji is alright! I have to show him that…that…please understand."

Sakura placed a hand on the taijutsu-master's shoulder. "It's alright Lee. You'll see, Neji-san will be fine and we'll be able to go home soon." She looked imploringly at the lazy nin begging him to send Lee instead of Shino.

"Alright, alright, new plan. We'll have to get Lee a disguise because he can't use _Henge_." Quickly pulling the team's extra clothing together, the green beast was soon clad in Shikamaru's thin vest, Kiba's extra set of leggings, and Chouji's scarf. It was also decided that his shiny bowl-cut was too distinctive. Ino and Sakura soon remedied that however, spiking the dark tresses.

The pink-haired kunoichi tapped Lee's nose playfully. "You look cute that way Lee-san."

The taijutsu-master's heart soared, and he tried to find words. "T-thank you…Sak-Sakura-san."

He noticed that Tenten had remained silent for the entirety of the team's conversation. She was absentmindedly sharpening a kunai, and looked composed. However countless hours of missions, training sessions, and spars taught him better. The way that she focused only on the kunai in hand, and the way her right foot jiggled as with an unheard beat showed Lee that she was upset.

Choosing friends over his love, he approached the weapon's mistress. "Tenten?" He paused and waited for her answer. But she didn't reply. Instead, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her hands shook slightly. "I will bring him back."

The kunoichi still did not look up, and the disguised nin turned to leave. A soft voice met his ears, and caused him to smile.

"I know, Lee." The green beast turned back and grinned at the girl, before heading back to the team, knowing that she needed space.

As he headed to the group he caught his reflection in a small stream. He didn't look like himself at all, the new hairstyle making for a new him altogether. However, as he looked at his hair for a moment longer, he realized something. It was spiked just so to look like…to look like…Sasuke's.

He shook his head. 'No wonder Sakura-san liked it. It reminded her of her real love.' His heart sunk and he glumly kept on towards the group.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Hiashi-sama, Hiashi-sama, I'm sorry. Forgive me!" Neji was kneeling before his enraged uncle fearing for his life.

All of a sudden the older Hyuuga was gone. Neji looked up quizzically.

"My son."

Pale eyes widened before turning to face the speaker.

"Otousan."

"My son, you have quite a destiny to live up to. After my death, there is no one else left. You must be handed over to Kumokagure."

"Otousan…no. No, please."

But Hizashi was gone, and in his place thirty Cloud nin appeared. They surrounded the young Hyuuga. Neji tried to fight them off, but found that he couldn't move. He tried to yell, but found that even his voice had failed him. The shinobi rushed in and kicked, punched, and beat the poor genin until he knew no more.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Akamaru was focused intently on the turmoil his master's friend was going through, and didn't realize someone was behind him until it was too late.

The white nin dog was picked up by the scruff of his neck and found himself face to face with the guard.

"What are you doing in here pooch?"

Akamaru looked at the Hyuuga behind the glass before growling at the Cloud guard.

"Now don't give me that, pooch. I'm only following orders. It doesn't mean I like 'em. Now you go outside where doggies like you belong." The guard carried the small nin dog out of the building and gently placed him on the ground.

"Go on now, get, get." Akamaru set off at a fast run to reach his master and the rest of the team as fast as he could.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Fifteen Minutes Later

"Hey guys! Akamaru's back!" Eight heads turned toward the Inuzuka's voice. The white nin dog yipped loudly and leapt into his master's arms. After a few moments, Kiba had translated his pet's story.

Shikamaru nodded. "Alright Lee, you know what to do. Konoha must not be involved in another war Stealth is key."

The green beast saluted the chuunin resolutely. Akamaru had already sprung from Kiba's grasp, and was barking for the taijutsu-master to follow him. Lee nodded at Tenten before heading off with the nin dog.

"Please bring him back Lee," Tenten whispered after her teammate's retreating form.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

After about only ten minutes, the pair- boy and dog- entered the village without attracting much attention. Akamaru walked confidently along the streets, stopping now and again to sniff the ground, as to not arouse suspicion.

Lee followed a good distance behind his guide, hoping no one would notice he was trailing a dog. All went smoothly; no one questioned a teenager that did not appear to be a shinobi walking though the village.

Akamaru stopped at the dojo. As he had passed, he noticed the girls had stopped practicing their fan taijutsu, but paid it no mind as he headed towards the back of the building.

The green beast tailed his small leader, and opened the dark door Akamaru was waiting by. "Here we go."

Lee entered warily, the nin dog at his heels. He followed the hallway until a pane of glass came into view. The canine bounded ahead of his human companion and leapt onto the boxes underneath the glass window.

The green beast followed quickly and quizzically and looked through the window. He gasped. "Neji."

His close teammate and friend was strapped to a metal table, unconscious, bandaged, and clearly not in the best condition.

Now that Lee had seen the Hyuuga like this, there was nothing stopping from saving his friend and killing some of the guilt that had been haunting him for a few days now.

Except for one thing.

"What are you doing here, boy?" a smooth voice purred in his ear. The taijutsu master jumped in surprise, mentally chastising himself for not noticing the woman behind him.

He did not respond, except to perform a roundhouse kick, attempting to knock the person out.

The woman behind him, Toya's employer Yami, caught Lee's foot easily and struck it with one of her small fans.

The green beast gasped in pain, but the wound was not too damaging. His weights had taken most of the blow, and the taijutsu master was ready for a fight. However, he noticed more guards coming, six in total, and made a quick decision.

"_Konoha Daisenpū_!" Lee kicked Yami twice, sending her flying back. He looked at the guards coming, grabbed Akamaru, and headed into the room where Neji was, locking the door behind him.

He could hear the guards aiding the woman outside, and knew that time was short. He had to get Neji out of here.

Lee drew a kunai and attempted to destroy the locks that held the metal straps which, in turn, held Neji to the table. However, he found that the metal was strong and he could not break them.

By this time the Hyuuga had begun to rouse. Blurred lavender eyes looked up at the green beast and Lee's heart broke. Those eyes looked lost, sad, betrayed, and hurt; all the things he never ever expected from Neji.

"Lee."

"Do not worry Neji. I will have you out of those bonds in no time!" The taijutsu master returned to his previous task, now with a hint of panic in his normally confident strikes.

The Hyuuga's eyes drifted to the door, where he could hear angry voices and furious pounding on the door. He knew what he had to do.

"Lee, you—you must leave." The Konoha genius' voice sounded weak, even to his own ears.

"I know Neji, this metal is not cooperating. Please have patience."

The pale-eyed genin shook his head. He gathered what little strength he had left. "Lee, listen to me. I know my time is short…..I cannot face them again. Please don't make me."

The pounding at the door was growing louder by the minute, and Akamaru yipped in warning.

"Almost got this one." Sweat was beading on the green beast's forehead; he had almost destroyed one of the locks. Unfortunately, after that one, there were four left.

"Lee. I cannot face them again. You must leave."

Something in the taijutsu-master's head clicked.

"No Neji…I cannot do what you ask of me." Dark eyes peered into lavender, dreading what was to come from this.

"It would be a last favor to me. They make me see…see things. I can't go back there. Otousan…he….I cannot go back there. Please Lee."

Lee began to shake.

"Just ask it of me Neji, and I would stay and fight them all. I would fight them all, but I cannot do what you ask now."

"I don't ask that of you Lee, I ask you to end it."

The pounding grew even louder, and the door's hinges began to fail.

The intensity of the conversation had drained what little strength the Hyuuga had regained over the past two days. His eyes drooped, and his muscles relaxed.

"I am sorry Neji, for what I must do." Lee crouched into a fighting stance, and Neji smiled.

"Thank you."

"Do not thank me just yet, my friend." Lee sank down low, preparing to strike. "_Konoha Senpū_!"

The green beast kicked the table his best friend was currently bound to, destroying it. Though it successfully released the Hyuuga from his chains, it wounded him in the process. Another broken rib and a deep laceration to the thigh, was Neji's price for freedom.

The pale-eyed genin's body could take no more pain and passed into the realm of unconsciousness. But before his limp form could fall to the floor, strong arms grabbed him, and threw the lithe figure over his shoulder.

Reaching for a kunai, and opening the _Initial Gate_, Lee shattered through the reinforced glass window, that even the guards could not get past.

Without looking back the green beast hurled a dozen shuriken at the attackers speeding towards the exit, he heard a high pitched shriek, but did not stop. Right now his top priority was his injured teammate.

Akamaru, who had been silent for quite some time, led the taijutsu master towards the exit.

Following the small nin dog towards the door, Lee shifted Neji into his arms. The Hyuuga's blood had long since leaked through the bandages and bled through Lee's clothing, making the green beast feel sick.

The exit came into view and the Konoha shinobi breathed a sigh of relief.

They were safe.

Until a dark figure appeared in the doorway. Lee stopped suddenly, dropping into a defensive position. Akamaru stood in front of the pair protectively, and barked angrily at the man.

"I should have known you were trouble, pooch." The guard's soft voice penetrated the still air. "Don't worry," he said to Lee, "I'm not going to stop you. It's my job to follow orders, no matter how much I don't like them…I'm just glad there are still people like you in this dangerous world of ours."

The Cloud nin stepped aside. "Hurry now, Yami and her other guards will be catching up soon. Don't get caught."

Lee couldn't find what to say. He merely nodded and headed back to the rest of the group at top speed, not believing his luck.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

So there we are. Neji's finally in safe hands, but will he make it back to the team alive? Mayyyyyybe 

Oh yes, I based that little desperate friendship scene a little off of Cassia and Sio's LOTR fic "Escape From Mordor" I just loved it so much I couldn't resist!

Sooo close to 200 guys! Let's get there with this chapter!

Thanks for reading!

Hugs,  
MM


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